Cruel Pain
by TheSylverBlue
Summary: It's been a while since the Digidestined defeated Malomyotismon. Life seemed to be running smoothly, but lately Tai's been acting strange. Is it just high school matters? Or is it something else entirely? Taiora - Rated M for Language, Alcohol, & Violence
1. Life So Far

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Digimon.**

_A/n: I had to watch a few Digimon episodes just to remember a bit of the characters' personalities. Anyway, here's the first chapter. _

_Joe is 19. Tai, Sora, and Matt are 18. Izzy and Mimi are 17. ect_

_Summary: It's been a while since the Digidestined defeated Malomyotismon. Life seemed to be running smoothly, but lately Tai's been acting strange. Is it just high school matters? Or is he hiding something that could endanger himself and his friends?_

* * *

**Cruel Pain**

**Chapter 1: Life So Far**

_Riiiing. _

The first bell rang and school was just about to start at Odaiba High. Kids were scrambling to get to their right destination, which was straight to class. This time the tardy policy had been enforced, and no one had dared to even question it. If you weren't in class on time, it was the Principal's Office for you. This whole week was going to be a tardy sweep, or so they called it.

Everyone began to scream their goodbyes to one another and returned their friends' hugs before they headed off to class. The halls slowly became less and less crowded. Nearly everyone had gone to their classes early.

Sora was running down the halls frantically, hoping to get to class on time.

_'I am not going to be late on the first day of that stupid tardy sweep! Why is it that my class has to be at the far end of the school?' _she thought to herself as she began to pick up her pace.

As she turned the corner, she immediately bumped into someone, causing both to fall to the ground.

"Oh, I am so sorry. I should've looked where I was going and…Tai?" Sora watched as the boy stood up and brushed himself off.

Tai looked at her emotionless. "Yeah, you should've looked where you were going. You've always been so clumsy," he said rather harshly and walked right past her in the opposite direction.

Sora was taken aback by his choosing of words. She helped herself up and watched as her best friend walked away.

_'Wait a minute! Doesn't he have the same class as me?'_ She was definitely confused. Whatever his problem was, she would have to deal with it later. Right now she had to get to class pronto.

The red-headed girl finally reached the door to her class and rushed straight in before the teacher could even notice. As soon as she took her seat next to the windows, the second bell rang. Sora took a deep breath of relief. She was thankful that she had miraculously made it to her class on time.

Once the teacher finished writing on the school board, he turned and faced his class. "Okay, it looks like you all made it to class on time. That's good. Seems that the tardy sweep actually has a positive effect on you guys," The teacher said as he laughed to himself while everyone just gave blank expressions. "Ahem...anyway, let's get started on today's lesson."

Sora hadn't paid much attention to the daily lessons. Her focus seemed to be on the empty desk beside her.

_'That's strange. I haven't seen Tai at school for three days and all of a sudden I run into him in the hallway... the nerve of him!' _She thought angrily. _'He can't even recognize who his friends are anymore! How dare he speak to me that way!'_

True enough, Tai's been acting different since the first day of school, and that was a whole four months ago. He became distant from everyone and had wanted to be left alone. Even Kari, his younger sister, noticed the strange behavior too. His outgoing, fun personality is now that of a rebellious type. He had been getting involved in many fights, in school and even outside. He avoided all of his friends, ignoring them like they didn't even exist. Every time Sora tried to confront him, he would just brush her off and walk the other direction.

Lately, Tai's behavior had been getting worse. He hadn't been showing up for most of his classes and often ends up in the Principal's Office. Sora, along with her DigiDestined friends, noticed that he was beginning to hang with the wrong sort of people...the kind of guys who play pranks and look at girls all day long. What a jerk!

Tai had also become a bully. The other day, he went around demanding money from a couple of people, and sometimes he would threaten them if they didn't hand it over. What caused him to act like that?

Sora was disgusted and at the same time upset that her best friend could end up like this. It was horrible and heart wrenching. She just wished everything would go back to the way it was before. She missed having a best friend who had always been there for her.

* * *

_Lunch..._

"Finally class is over!" Sora said as she stretched a bit before heading to the lunch room. Her stomach growled. "Boy am I hungry." She started walking when she saw Matt running towards her.

He caught up to her and placed his hands on his knees. "Oh, hey Sora."

Sora looked over to her boyfriend Matt, who was practically out of breath.

"Man, your class is far."

She smiled. "Hi, Matt. I see you ran all the way here just to get to me first." She laughed a little as he regained his composure.

"So...I didn't make you late to class this morning, did I?" He asked knowing that they should've gone to class earlier. They loved enjoying their morning together. It made their relationship more romantic.

"No. I got to class on time, although I almost didn't make it," Sora answered. She leaned up and kissed her boyfriend. Matt gave in and returned the gesture. As soon as they pulled back, Matt gently took hold of her hand and led her to the lunch room.

"We should hurry. Our friends are probably waiting for us," he said as they both headed in the same direction.

The two didn't notice that they were being watched from afar by a pair of angry chocolate eyes. Tai emerged from the shadows and stood in the empty hallway. His look was furious. He felt as if he was betrayed by his own best friends and he wasn't sure why.

"They don't understand," Tai said to no one in particular. He walked down the empty corridor with his hands in his pockets.

Tai looked ahead and saw Kyle, one of the popular boys, heading towards him. He smiled.

"Hey, Kyle. Didn't think I'd see you here."

* * *

They walked hand in hand towards the table to meet their long time friends, who were eating their lunch eagerly. Izzy looked up at the approaching couple.

"Hey guys!" Izzy waved at them.

"Hey Izzy!" Matt waved back as he and his girlfriend sat at the table. "You guys started eating without us." He pointed at the food and wrappers.

Mimi took a sip from her drink. "We were waiting for you guys, but you took so long. We figured you two were busy...as always." Mimi winked.

Sora blushed at the statement. "We were just a little late that's all. My class is at the far end."

"Right," Mimi said in a sarcastic tone. "And to think you want me to believe that."

Izzy decided to change the subject. "You know it's been a really long time since we all hung out together as digidestined. I was just thinking. How about we all meet up this weekend, including Davis and the others? We could commemorate all the victories we had and just remember the good old times."

The others nodded in agreement, except Sora.

"What about Tai?" she asked. They all began to frown. "Would he even want to go? He hasn't really said a word to us for weeks now."

"Maybe he doesn't want to be our friends anymore." Mimi pouted and folded her arms across her chest. "He could at least open up that big, loud mouth of his and tell us his problems."

Izzy sighed. "He's been acting unusual since the beginning of the year. Do you think maybe he's moved on from being DigiDestined?"

"Life's probably too hard for him. Come to think of it, I haven't seen Tai in a while. I wonder what he's up to," Matt pondered.

"Probably up to no good," Mimi muttered with a squeamish look on her face. She continued eating the rest of her lunch before lunch was over, which was in about ten minutes.

Sora had almost forgotten about her little 'incident' earlier. She turned towards Matt to meet his eyes. "Wait! I saw Tai this morning right before I went to class!"

Matt looked surprised. "Tai? He was here this morning?"

"Yeah, I sort of bumped into him while running in the halls."

"Well, what happened? Did he talk with you?" Izzy asked, curious to know if Tai had actually stopped to converse with her. It's been so long since he had talked with any of them.

"No. Actually, he just got a bit angry and walked away. I don't know what's wrong with him. He sure doesn't seem like himself." Sora stared at her shoes.

Matt gave a serious face. "That's it! I'm going to talk to him no matter what. He can't just keep dismissing his friends like this." He got up from the table and began to search for their 'leader'.

Sora got up after him. "Matt, wait!"

Izzy and Mimi watched the two leave the table. After a while they, too, went to go look for Tai. Unfortunately, none of them could find him anywhere. Matt became angry.

"I don't see Tai around here." Izzy said looking off to the crowds.

"Where does that asshole disappear off to?" he said gritting his teeth together. "Once I find him, I'll make sure to knock some sense into him."

Sora held onto his arm. "Maybe we should just leave him alone. He probably isn't even here. Let's go and—" She was interrupted by the sound of people shouting.

_Fight! Fight! _

It was coming from inside the halls.

Everybody began to rush to the halls to see the fight. Matt, Sora, Izzy, and Mimi followed as well just to see what all the commotion was. However they couldn't see anything due to the large group of people in the center of the hallway.

_Fight! Fight! Fight!_

"Oh Darn. I cannot see a thing!" Mimi jumped up as high as she could, but it was no use. She couldn't see anything. "Can you see what's happening Sora?"

"No, there are too many people." She then looked around. "Hey, where did Matt go?"

Matt tried to make his way through the crowds, and what he saw frightened him. There in the center was Tai wrestling Kyle on the floor. Tai found his way on top and was practically choking him. Kyle tried fighting back, but it seemed that Tai had the upper hand.

The crowd kept on cheering them on, enjoying the show played out in front of them.

_Fight! Fight! Fight! _The crowd continued to shout.

Matt couldn't believe what he saw next, the image of Tai holding a switchblade right at the boy's neck as if to kill.

* * *

_A/n: Okay, here's the first chapter of 'Cruel Pain'. Wow! I'm not really sure how it would end, but I might have it end up as a Taiora. But hopefully you guys would tell me what you think of it so far, right?_


	2. Strange Behavior

_A/n: Hey guys! I've got the next chapter up as soon as possible! _

_It looks like some of you guys want this story to end up either a 'friendship' or a 'taiora'. The rest of you seemed like you stayed neutral about it and wanted to continue on with the story regardless of the genre. Up to this point, I'm still not sure how it will be written. It's going to depend on how I see it and how it will fit the plot I'm working on. _

_On to chapter 2!_

* * *

**Chapter 2: Strange Behavior**

Matt was in shock to see Tai's actions leading up to this. Bullying others? Fine, that can easily be forgiven, but murdering someone was way off the line. What could he be thinking? Tai was about to make the biggest mistake of his life. Does he even realize that?

After a few moments, Sora made her way to the center of the crowd and witnessed what Tai was about to do. She placed her hands over her mouth and gasped at the sight. She stood there in horror as the boy she knew all her life carelessly strangled another boy to death, while gripping the blade in his hand even tighter.

"No Tai! Don't do it!" Sora screamed, frightened at this strange side of Tai.

The brown-haired boy continued to squeeze his victim's throat as Kyle tried to desperately gasp for air.

"Matt, do something!" Sora yelled at him. Matt just stood there completely stunned. He didn't know what to do in this type of situation, especially if it involved dealing with a knife.

The all-known popular jock struggled to get free from Tai's grasp, but to no avail. Tai refused to let go and even worse, he prepared himself to strike with the small blade at the flesh of his victim.

Matt however, had enough of his friend's crazy 'game'. He was going to stop Tai before it was too late. The blond quickly threw his backpack down onto the floor and prepared himself. Matt quickly came charging towards Tai and roughly knocked him over, causing the blade to slip out of his hands a few feet away.

Once released, Kyle immediately began coughing uncontrollably while Izzy and a few others helped him off the floor. Tai slowly stood up from where he was pushed and glared dangerously at Matt.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Tai growled.

"What the hell do you think _you're_ doing?" Matt replied back. "You were about to kill someone Tai! What's gotten into you?"

The crowd was silent.

Kyle spoke. "Don't have any reason to explain yourself, do you Kamiya." He wiped some of the blood off his face and walked away.

Soon the crowd began dispersing as well. All who was left was Sora, Matt, Izzy, and Mimi. They stared at their former _leader_ with worrisome eyes.

Tai focused on the floor beneath him. He didn't want to deal with his friends right now. How would he explain everything to them? How would he explain everything to Sora?

It was all too quiet. Sora decided to break the awkward silence by carefully approaching Tai. She placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Tai, please tell us what's wrong? We can help you. We're your friends remember?" She looked at his face, hoping to get an answer.

Tai immediately felt a wave of anger. "I don't know what's wrong with me okay! You guys can never help me, so just forget it! Just fuckin' forget it! You don't even understand what I'm going through!" He calmed down and continued in a much lower voice. "Besides...I like this new side of me. It makes me feel...stronger."

Sora couldn't believe what she just heard. She felt as if her best friend had disappeared forever. Just then, there were approaching footsteps in the hallway. Everyone looked up to see the Principal coming towards them.

"What's going on here? Who are the people responsible for the fighting a moment ago?" The Principal gave a stern look, telling them that he wanted answers. He turned his attention to Tai, who had been a troublemaker for the past few months.

"Oh nothing's wrong, sir. There was just a little argument, that's all. But I assure you no one was harmed." Izzy spoke, hoping that the Principal would buy it. Of course, Izzy didn't want Tai to get into any more trouble.

"All right then. Just make sure that you students get to class already. Lunch is over." He then walked away, attending to his duties as the head of the school.

"Whew, that was close," Mimi said, looking over to the rest of them.

Tai took his cue to leave. He started walking away from the group as Matt suddenly called out to him.

"Hey, man! You better not leave! We're not through with you yet!" Matt started walking after him when Izzy stopped him, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Tai, please don't go!" Sora called out to him. Tai didn't look back. He just kept walking.

The DigiDestined each exchanged sad looks as they watched their friend disappear from the hallway.

* * *

_After School..._

Tai slammed the door to his apartment shut. He quickly took his shoes off and walked over to his room, his backpack still slung over his shoulder. Before he could reach his destination, a young girl with short brown hair stood in his way.

Tai growled at her. "What do you want Kari?"

"Tai, where have you been?" she asked him, crossing her arms across her chest. "It's nine o'clock and you didn't even call or anything."

"So what."

"So? I want some answers, Tai," she said. "If you don't give me some answers right now, I'm gonna call mom."

Tai rolled his eyes. "Go ahead, call mom! I doubt you'll get any answers from me!"

"Grr... Tai, why don't you just tell me?"

"Why do you need to know, Kari?"

"Because I'm very worried about you!" she yelled at him, tired of his crazy attitude. "Now tell me, where have you been?"

"I've been busy!" He shoved her aside and ran to his room before she could ask any more questions.

Once he entered his room, he closed the door behind him and carelessly threw his backpack on the floor. Tai stood there for a moment and looked at the plain surroundings of his room. Everything was plain, just like his fucked up life. The life he once knew was now gone. He could no longer return to it. Everything is now changing, including him.

He slouched all the way down with his back against the door. He grabbed his backpack and took out a bottle of beer that he had just gotten tonight. He chugged a great amount finishing up the whole thing and then rolled the empty bottle underneath his bed.

"Why do I feel like this?" he asked himself. "Why do I feel so empty inside?" He stood up and walked over to his bed.

Tai continued to ask himself all these questions, but still could not find the answers to them. After a long while of thinking, sleep finally caught up with him. He began to drift off into another world away, a world where there would be nothing to worry about. Everything became peaceful, everything except what he was going to find himself in.

* * *

'_I can't breathe...' _He felt a throbbing pain within his heart. _'Cough...cough. Where am I? Why am I here? It feels so cold ... I feel so alone.' _Tai found himself lying on the cold, hard ground. _'Could this be the end for me?' _There was absolute silence.

Suddenly, a low rumbling noise echoed loudly throughout the cold atmosphere. Everything remained silent as if time itself has frozen. Soon after a deep, raspy voice was heard in the surrounding darkness. It began chanting over and over again in some sort of ancient language.

He looked around him but couldn't see anything. It was too dark. The chanting grew louder and increased in pace. This terrified him to a great measure. His eyes remained closed, scared of what he might see ahead of him. He could hear it, the demonic voice approaching nearer, almost chanting directly in his ear. The boy knew 'Death' was close. He knew this was the end.

His heart was rapidly beating fast. He attempted to move or at least crawl a good distance away, but he felt as if he was bound to the floor. How can that be? There was no chains, no ropes, nothing was holding him down. He just couldn't move. It was like a powerful force was holding him down. It was either that or he was just frozen out of fear.

The boy didn't know what to do. The only thing he could do was open his eyes and wish that it was all his imagination. He slowly opened his eyes and in his brown orbs appeared a black, faceless shadow. Instantly, the boy felt extreme fear. There was nothing peaceful or good about this shadow being. He could tell, just by its presence, that it was definitely evil. The temperature suddenly dropped at the sight of this...thing.

The shadow came closer, floating across the floor. Tai tried to scream for help, but found that he couldn't. Something was preventing him from screaming. It was over for him...until a loud banging echoed repeatedly out of nowhere. _Bang... Bang. _The chanting began to slowly fade away as well as the shadow itself. _Bang... Bang... Bang._ The banging continued. Soon everything was concealed in darkness...

Tai awoke in cold sweat, gasping for air. He was back in his bedroom. Everything looked calm and peaceful, not to mention plain. The room was bright, nowhere near dark. It was definitely morning and almost time for school. He sat up on his bed and began to rub the morning off his eyes.

_'It was just a dream... actually it was a nightmare! It was so different from my previous ones...'_ He shook his head and sighed deeply. _'I'm getting tired of these stupid dreams.'_

_Bang... Bang. _There was that same banging noise. Tai turned his head toward his door and found Kari staring right at him.

"What do you want?" Tai snarled. He was annoyed that she kept on bothering him. Since she didn't answer him, he repeated himself. "I said what do you want?"

Kari jumped a little. "Well, you were still sleeping...so I had to wake you up. It's time to eat breakfast," she said in a soft voice, then quickly closed his door.

Tai looked at the floor and sighed. There was the empty, glass bottle sticking out from underneath his bed. He quickly kicked it under so that it disappeared out of sight.

_'Maybe I've had too much to drink last night. I probably got myself drunk and was carried off into another fuckin' nightmare.'_

He stood up from his bed and quickly dressed up into his usual school clothes. Right before he left, he stared at the mirror in his room and shook his head disapprovingly.

_'Nothing could ever make you happy, not even your friends.'_ He grabbed his backpack and rushed out the room.

* * *

_A/n: That's the end of this chapter! Well how do you like it? I don't know when I'm gonna post the next one, hopefully later next week. I have to really focus on all of my classes this year. My future is counting on it! Later!_

_Don't forget to review! Reviews give authors the motivation they need! _


	3. My Pain, Your Pain

_A/n: Hello, everyone!_

_Anyway, it really looks like you guys are dying to know what Tai's problem is, right? Well I can't tell you just yet, but in time it will be revealed._

_And so you know, I have made up my mind and decided that this story will indeed end up a 'taiora'. Most of you would be happy for that, am I right? Yeah, you wouldn't respond to that anyways. Let's just get on with the story...Sorry for those who dislike reading Taiora, my apologies..._

* * *

**Chapter 3: My Pain, Your Pain**

After waking her cranky brother up, Kari decided that she would make a decent breakfast for Tai, even if he did scold at her a lot. She just wanted him to know that she cared about him and that she was concerned for his well being. Of course, she would do anything for her big brother, just like he did in the past. Now, he just seems so... far away.

Kari sat patiently at the kitchen table, waiting for the bread to toast. She looked at the clock on the microwave. '_Still early'. _Thankfully, she had plenty of time to eat breakfast, so she didn't have to worry about being late. School didn't start for another forty minutes or so. She sat with her hands placed on her forehead, listening to all of Tai's furious screams.

_'He sure spends a lot of time in his room yelling at himself.' _Kari thought.

The young girl sat quietly, thinking of what could possibly be wrong with her brother. She definitely didn't like this new Tai. He hadn't been himself for months and lately he'd been getting himself into all kinds of trouble. Kari couldn't understand the reason for all this.

There would be some days when he is easily enraged and would just shout at her all day, call her names, or even threaten her. Other times, she would find him sobbing uncontrollably in his room the whole night. Sobbing... for what? What does he have to cry about? She just couldn't figure out his problem.

_'What caused him to change so much anyways?' _As soon as she asked this, _pop, _the toaster popped out the two slices of bread.

She grabbed both pieces and placed them on a plate, evenly spreading butter on each of them. Just then she heard footsteps approaching her, apparently Tai was coming. Kari watched as her brother walked past the kitchen and headed straight for the front door, putting his shoes on.

"Tai, aren't you going to eat?" Kari asked him, but didn't get any response from the boy. It looked as if he was ignoring her again. "Tai, you can't just leave without eating. You'll get hungry."

Tai looked at her annoyingly. "No, thanks. I'm not hungry."

"Tai, wait!" Kari called out to him, but it was too late since he already shut the door and left.

* * *

Tai began his usual walk to school, his light backpack hanging on top his broad shoulders. His head was lowered, looking down at the ground as he walked silently along the pavement. His eyes traced every crack on the sidewalk while his mind became overwhelmed with so many thoughts... thoughts that were complicated to explain.

He needed to be alone, he wanted to be alone, alone was what he became. Tai no longer cared for anybody, heck he didn't even care about himself. He didn't know why, he just felt that way. He became fully aware of these new feelings growing within him. It was like he was changing, yet he didn't want to.

Something was causing him to change into this unknown, careless person. He felt as if there was no meaning to his life whatsoever. Maybe he'll find a way to end his pain, to end his suffering. But would he go that far? He didn't know. What was making him feel like this?

As he neared the familiar building, he came to notice a certain red-headed girl standing in front of the school gate. Of course, she was also with a certain blond. Tai became suddenly outraged and somewhat crushed as he watched with sorrowful eyes as Sora and Matt exchanged hugs and kisses with each other.

_'Why does she keep hurting me so much?' _he asked himself as he looked at the way Sora would smile, yet he saw a hint of sadness in it as well.

At this moment, Tai didn't feel like going to school today. He felt rather sick and the need to jump off a cliff, which he couldn't do at this very moment. He just couldn't stand watching the two together, sharing their little moments. Even though he accepted the fact that the two were going out, it still remained difficult for him to actually grasp that, to live with it.

What bothered Tai so much was that the girl he loved could find happiness with another guy. And not just any guy... Matt. This is the reason Tai came to hate Matt so much. Although he would never go against the blond, Tai couldn't help but stay angry at him. The fact that he, himself could not make Sora happy.

Of course, this was all in the past. Tai, however, wonders why it still affects him to this day. Perhaps, he couldn't really move on. That was his only conclusion.

Although this is partly the reason why Tai had been avoiding Sora, he knew that there were much more bigger reasons as to why he has changed and abandoned his friends in the first place... reasons that only he knew.

Tai decided that he should just skip school for the day, just like the other times. Today wasn't a good day for him. He figured he had to find a way to avoid his friends today anyway. Tai knew that they were going to try and interrogate him again, question all his motives for his actions.

Once he turned around in his place, he came face to face with... Davis.

"Oh, hey Tai. Long time, no see! How have you been?" Davis said with the kind of expression Tai used to have. "Hey...aren't you supposed to be going to school… because you're going the wrong way." The young boy pointed towards the entry to the school campus.

Tai frowned and realized that he had been caught, and now his only option was to go to school. He quickly turned around and walked slowly towards the gate, leaving Davis with a look of question.

The young digidestined stood there, somewhat a little shock that Tai didn't say anything to him.

_'I guess that he's having a bad day today.' _Davis thought.

"Okay, then. Well... see you again soon... Tai!" Davis called out as Tai found himself walking closer to Matt and Sora.

The brunet smiled as he drew closer to the couple. '_Maybe, I could have a little fun today.' _Tai thought with a mischievous grin on his face.

* * *

Sora and Matt had just finished up discussing their weekend plans, when they saw Tai heading over to them. The brown-haired boy acted casual as he tried to pass the couple but soon realized that the blond had blocked his path.

"Sorry Tai, but I'm not letting you through 'till you give us some answers," Matt said with a look of determination.

Tai just stood there a minute before he spoke, "Why should I give you answers, huh? Besides, I have to go to school and you happen to be blocking my way," he said through gritted teeth.

"I'm still not letting you through, not until you tell me what is going on with you," Matt said in a more firm voice. After a few seconds, Matt became impatient. "I'm waiting Tai."

Tai became angry. "Why? It's not like you own my life or anything, so why do you need to know?"

"Because you've been acting like an asshole lately!" Matt yelled at him. He just couldn't hold back his anger anymore. Tai was beginning to get on his nerves.

However, Tai refused to feel intimidated or even insulted by the blond-haired boy so he decided to scream back at him. "An asshole? You're the fuckin' asshole!"

"Right! I'm not the one who's forgetting all of his friends!"

Tai was about to explode. "I don't need any friends right now! You don't even understand how I'm fuckin' feeling! Why can't you just mind your own business!"

Both boys were beginning to boil up inside, none of them giving in to the other. The argument lasted for quite a while.

Sora looked back and forth at the two boys as they continuously argued heavily with each other. She sighed. This was pointless. It reminded her of when they were back in the Digital World. Nothing was going to come out of fighting. Sora knew that. She would rather settle this in a more peaceful manner.

The auburn-haired girl stepped in between the two boys to stop them from arguing. It was a good thing too otherwise both of them would have actually started to wrestle each other to the ground.

As soon as the two boys stopped, Matt looked to his girlfriend who had stood in between both of them. "Sora?"

She turned to look at him. "Stop it Matt! I don't even know why you have to start arguing with him! It's like you're trying to provoke a fight! Can't we just try to get along? I thought that was the plan!"

"Yeah, but he's making it so difficult to communicate!" Matt glared at Tai, who just glared at him back. Sora turned to face Tai and spoke in a lighter tone.

"I'm sorry about that. Matt has been acting a little crazy. But I do have something to ask you." She paused for a while until Tai directed his attention to her. "Do you think you can come join us at the park tomorrow, Tai? All our friends will be there and we would really like it if you came too. It wouldn't feel right without you there," Sora said in a very soft voice.

The way she said that made Tai want to desperately hug her and to tell her that he's sorry for everything, but his anger against her prevented him from doing so. Tai suddenly felt like a whole different person again. It was like his old self was no longer there, or maybe his old self could no longer surface.

"I'm sure you can live your life without me anyway," he said in a low voice, then walked further into the school, away from the couple.

Matt began to scratch his head furiously. "Tai! Get back here! Damn it! What the hell is that guy's problem?" The blond said with a look of frustration.

A few moments later, the school bell rang and students began to do their daily 'rush to class' routine. The campus slowly became less and less crowded, yet Matt and Sora stood in the same spot.

Matt looked over to his girlfriend who hadn't said a thing since Tai left. "Sora? Are you okay?"

She turned to face him with tears in her eyes. "Oh, Matt. I really miss him!"

* * *

_A/n: Looks like Tai's strange behavior is really affecting Sora now... What will she do? What happens if Tai actually becomes worse than he is now? Will he end up harming his friends and family? How the hell do I know!_

_I hope you guys have enjoyed it. Thanks for those who have been reviewing._


	4. Falling Apart

_A/n: I know that all of you are curious as to why Tai is acting like this, so I couldn't leave you hangin'. Of course, his problem(s) will slowly and clearly reveal itself. So don't expect to find it all in one chapter because that isn't how I would write the story. I will give hints here and there to help the readers predict what will happen. Otherwise, the story wouldn't be as suspenseful._

_Okay, let's get on with the next chapter! Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 4: Falling Apart**

Class had begun. The room was silent, except for the scribbling of pencils. Everyone sat in a focused state, trying to finish up the work the teacher assigned a few minutes ago. Sora's attention was on Tai the entire time, barely even able to concentrate on her work.

There he was across from her, not even looking in her direction. He didn't even start the assignment as if he doesn't care. Instead he just sat there, his head supported by his elbows. Sora couldn't take this nonsense anymore. She needed to know what was happening with her best friend.

Right then, a flashing white light filled the classroom followed by the clashing of loud thunder, which caused Sora to turn her attention toward the window on her left. Outside, she saw a heavy downpour of rain.

That was strange since it didn't look like it was going to rain this morning. The clouds came out of nowhere. Sora looked back at Tai who hadn't noticed anything. She sighed and watched the teacher as he headed toward the end of the classroom.

Once the teacher wasn't looking, Sora quietly called his name.

"Tai," She whispered.

Nothing happened.

She called out again. "Tai."

Still no response. She decided to call out louder.

"TAI!" she whispered. Luckily, the teacher didn't hear that.

Sora became angry at the fact that he was ignoring her. She crumpled up a loose piece of paper and threw it at Tai's head. As soon as it hit his head, he turned around and glared at her.

"What do you want?" he angrily whispered.

"I want you to tell me what's wrong with you," she said simply.

"What? Why can't you guys just leave me alone?" he asked quietly.

"Please, just tell me. I want to help you. You're my best friend, Tai."

Tai snorted but then lowered his eyes to the ground. He spoke in a calmer tone. "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you."

Sora was about to ask him why, but then something didn't feel right. The two of them were silent as they looked up at the teacher who was standing in front of them.

"Didn't I tell you students that this is an individual assignment?" The teacher asked, tapping his foot. "Hmm?"

* * *

A few moments later, Tai and Sora found themselves out of the classroom and into the empty hallway. Obviously, they had to serve detention after school today just for that tiny mistake of talking in class. That teacher was really a pain sometimes. No one could stand him.

The two silently stood next to the door, not really looking at each other. All that was heard was the continuous rumbling of thunder and the trickling of rain.

After a short while of silence, Sora decided to ask him. "Why?"

Tai looked at her. "Why what?"

"Why can't you tell me what's going on with you?" she repeated her question. This time more specifically.

"I already told you. I can't."

"Why not? We could always tell each other everything. Please, Tai."

Tai felt anger quickly rising within him. "I just can't tell you okay! It's none of your business! So shut up already!"

Sora was silent and averted her eyes towards the floor. She didn't expect him to yell at her like that. Why couldn't he just tell her his problems? After all, they were best friends. It was almost heartbreaking.

_'I guess I really did lose him.' s_he thought.

Tai sadly looked at her and immediately regretted the things he said. He slowly began to walk toward her, wanting to comfort her. But as soon as he took the first step, the lights in the hallway started to rapidly flicker on and off. However, the lights weren't bright like they usually are. They were a color of black... pitch black as if they were shadows.

Sora stood in horror at this sort of sight. After a few minutes of continuous flickering, the lights went completely out leaving the hallway in total darkness.

Sora was frightened at the sudden darkness of the hallway. "Tai?"

Tai didn't move. He didn't think this would happen. He was also terrified, but was it because of the darkness? Maybe it was the storm that had caused that. At least, that was what Tai had hoped.

He stared at Sora before angrily yelling at her. "Maybe you should just stay away from me! That way you won't get hurt!" He quickly turned around and ran to the end of the hallway. As soon as he started running from her the lights were back to normal.

After a few moments, the door to the classroom opened and the teacher walked out. "Okay, you two can come in. Hey, where did that boy go?"

Sora didn't pay any attention to what the teacher said. What she saw just a few moments ago really scared the hell out of her. Why were the lights dark? Did Tai have anything to do with those blinking lights of darkness? Sora now knew that something was indeed wrong.

_'I think Tai might be in danger.' _she thought.

* * *

Rain was still heavily pouring outside and there were still no sign of it clearing up. The school bell rang indicating that it was finally time for lunch at Odaiba High. Students began heading towards the lunchroom to take a break from the academics. Sora, Matt, Izzy, and Mimi were all at their table already snacking down their food and talking about weekend plans.

"Okay, you guys. Tomorrow is Saturday and we all agreed to gather at the park, correct? However, since it's raining today, I'm positive that there's a possible chance for it to rain tomorrow." Izzy said not so sure about the idea anymore.

"Don't worry about it, Izzy. I'm sure that it'll be nice and sunny tomorrow. It's not like you're the weather guy," Mimi said eating her soup. "I was looking forward to this weekend so don't jinx it."

"Yeah, plus if it does rain we'll all just cancel it and postpone it for another day. How's that?" Matt asked.

"Sure," They all said.

Sora hadn't been listening much to their conversation. Everything that had happened today was still bothering her. She needed to know what was happening with Tai. Speaking of Tai, where is he right now? Is he okay? Is he hurt? She continued to ask herself questions while stirring the spoon in her uneaten soup.

"Hey do you think Joe would be there too?" Matt asked. "I haven't called him yet."

"He said he would be there," Izzy answered. "I just hope college isn't too much for him."

Mimi began to notice Sora's behavior. "Oh, no Sora. Not you too."

Sora looked up at her in question. "What?"

"Don't tell me you're going to drift away from us just like Tai did," Mimi said concerned for her friend. "We wouldn't want to lose you."

"Sora, what's the matter?" Izzy asked.

Matt looked sadly at his girlfriend. He sighed. "Look, Sora. I'm sure Tai will be knocked back into his senses very soon." The blond said as he tried to comfort her. "He'll be his normal, goofy little self again. I promise."

Sora didn't say anything. She just couldn't find herself to think right now. Should she tell them what had happened earlier? Would they even believe her?

Mimi looked up from Sora and gasped at the sight played out in front of her. "Hey! Isn't that Tai over there?" She pointed.

Matt, Sora, and Izzy looked to where Mimi was pointing at, which was about two tables away from theirs. They looked to see that it was definitely Tai. He was at a table messily making out with one of those popular girls. Lisa was supposedly her name.

"I didn't know Tai had a girlfriend." Matt simply said a little bit surprised.

"Uh, I didn't know either..." Izzy said.

Sora watched as Tai pushed the kiss even deeper. Lisa seemed to be enjoying it since she kept tugging on to his shirt. The auburn-haired girl felt a wave of anger flowing through her body.

_'How could he act as if everything is alright? That jerk! Why is it that he is with her?' _Then sadness hit her. _'Could it be that he no longer cares about me?' _She asked herself. The way that he would pull the girl closer to him made Sora heartsick. Was she jealous? _'Sure I'm jealous. I'm his best friend and he can't even act friendly at all toward me.' _

Sora couldn't take this sight anymore. She was disgusted at Tai's behavior.

_'He just wants attention, that's all!' _She scoffed at the thought and stood up from the table, heading toward the exit of the lunchroom.

"Sora?" Matt called out to her as he stood up as well and ran toward her direction.

* * *

Both of them were now in the hallway. Sora quickened up her pace as Matt tried to desperately catch up with her.

"Sora, wait! Please stop," Matt called out as his voice echoed off the walls. He finally caught up with her. "Sora, what's wrong? Where are you going?" He gently grabbed her arm and pulled her to look at him. As he looked into her eyes, he noticed that there was so much pain and distress in them.

"I'm sorry, Matt," she said on the verge of tears.

Matt was confused. "Sorry? For what? You don't have to be sorry for anything, Sora."

"No! I haven't been fair to you Matt!" She began screaming at him as tears ran down her face. "I haven't been concentrating on you and me lately... and it's just that Tai... I don't know what to do. Something's just not right anymore."

Matt embraced her in a light hug. "Shh... It's going to be okay. You don't have to be sorry."

"Yes, I am. Matt..." Sora looked at him. "I don't deserve you."

"Sora, what are you talking about?" He asked.

She began to calm down a bit. "It's just that... I don't feel the same way as I used to feel about you, Matt."

Matt was surprised and somewhat hurt. He slowly dropped his hands to the sides. "What do you mean?"

"Matt, I have to confess something to you, and I don't want to hurt you at all... really. But for a while I've been thinking so much about Tai..."

"What? So you're telling me that you love him now!"

Sora shook her head. "No, Matt. That's not it! Please..."

Matt calmed down and faced her. "It sure sounds like it. You haven't been yourself ever since Tai changed, Sora. And I know that our relationship hasn't been the same either."

"Matt, I'm... "

"It's okay. Maybe it would be best if we take a break for a while."

"But Matt... " Sora started.

"Don't worry. I'm not mad at you. If you feel that you have feelings for Tai, I respect that." Matt smiled.

Sora smiled back. "Are you sure, Matt?" He nodded.

The two of them embraced each other in a hug. Once they separated, the bell had rung.

"Well, now. Maybe we should go to class early?" Matt asked.

Sora shrugged. "Sure." They walked towards their classes as students entered the hallway. "Thanks for understanding, Matt."

"No problem."

As they were walking, Sora couldn't help but think about what Matt said. Was she really in love with Tai?

_'I can't be. He's my best friend… and what about the hallway incident? Should I tell Matt?'_

* * *

_A/n: End of chapter._


	5. Tai's Secret

_A/n: Hello again, my fellow readers! I have the next chapter up for you!_

* * *

**Chapter 5: Tai's Secret**

Finally, the weekend had arrived. It was Saturday but unfortunately, it was still pouring outside. The digidestined had no choice but to cancel their plans. All this rain would've made the park all wet and muddy. Even Joe called saying that he had some important matters in college and couldn't make it. Now, they all had to spend their precious weekend in a more 'boring' manner.

All of that didn't really matter much to Sora. She was concerned of rather more important issues, issues she wished she could understand a lot better. The auburn girl sat up in her bed and focused her gaze on the raindrops out her window. It was evening already and it looked like it was about to get dark soon. She sighed deeply. All her thoughts seemed to be focused on a certain chocolate-haired boy.

Her life suddenly became different because of the way he changed. Even Matt noticed her sudden change in behavior. Sora hasn't really been the same without Tai. She was deeply hurting inside and her heart felt like it was ripped to shreds every time Tai gave off an angry look towards her.

He had always been her best friend and now she just feels completely lost without his outgoing personality, without the Tai she used to know. It was his old personality that she loved. Even if he was a little childish sometimes, he was still able to bring smiles upon her face.

Wait... did she actually love him more than a best friend? Sora didn't know. She didn't have time to think that through. She needed to figure out what was wrong with him first... she had to find what's causing him to be like this. What were his reasons?

Sora remembered what Tai had said to her yesterday in the hallway.

_(Flashback)_

_He stared at Sora before angrily yelling at her. "Maybe you should just stay away from me! That way you won't get hurt!" _

_He quickly turned around and ran towards the end of the hallway. Sora sadly watched as her best friend ran further away from her. Soon after, the lights returned to normal._

_(End of Flashback)_

What did he mean by that? Was he trying to tell her something? His words still echoed in her mind. _"...stay away from me! ...you won't get hurt!" _Sora tried to decipher the meaning but then gasped at what she had come to realize. Maybe Tai thinks that he'll harm them? It could be the reason why he had been avoiding all of them for some time now. But Sora couldn't understand it. Why on earth would he want to hurt his friends? Maybe her conclusion didn't make any sense at all. After all, she was just trying to come up with an explanation as to why Tai behaves like he does.

However, Sora's thoughts were cut off with the blundering roar of thunder. The sudden noise caused her to return her attention to the scenery out her window. Gusts of wind howled viciously against the glass. The rain also seemed to be pouring a lot harder at this point and it didn't appear as if it was going to subside at all.

_'This is getting out of hand. I need to talk to Tai now.'_

* * *

Nothing much was happening at the Kamiya's household. Things were actually quite calm. Both parents were out on a trip for the weekend, which seemed impossible with the type of weather that's displayed outside. Who knows why they still decided to leave.

Kari and Tai remained at the apartment. Most of the digidestined had to spend their weekend at home since their plan for the park had been ruined. Tai, however, was an exception. He probably wouldn't have gone to the park even if it didn't rain.

Kari Kamiya sat calmly in the living room, watching a few non-thrilling movies. Of course, there was nothing else to do at home so officially it was boring. She sat on the couch, clicking the switch on the remote every few seconds to get a good channel worth watching. There wasn't much to watch on a rainy day. Kari was upset that she had to spend her weekend at home, stuck in boredom. After a few minutes of flipping through channels, the girl became aware of the low growl within her stomach. That means only one thing... she was hungry.

The brown-haired girl stood up from the couch and headed towards the kitchen to make an evening snack. As she was making herself a sandwich, a question came to mind.

_'I wonder what Tai's up to? He's been awfully quiet.'_

Lately, Kari had been keeping an eye on her brother, making sure that he didn't leave the apartment for any reason. It was raining outside, so of course she didn't want him to get sick. Fortunately, Tai hadn't left the place... actually he hadn't left his room. He's been locked up in there since the previous night and had been a little too quiet. This made Kari worry.

After she made herself a sandwich, she walked towards her brother's room thinking that she should check up on him. She stood in front of his door and prepared herself to knock. At this moment, the phone rang. Kari stopped in her place and decided that she should take the call first. She hurried to the living room and picked up the phone.

"Hello, Kamiya's residence," she answered.

"... Hello, Kari."

Kari recognized the voice. "Sora! Oh, how are you?"

"I'm fine, but I need to talk to you about something."

"Sure. What do you need to talk about?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Tai was at his desk writing a few 'notes' down on several sheets of paper. He stacked most of them in a small pile, reading each and one of them over carefully. They were letters... letters that would bring pain to whoever reads it. Everyone wanted answers from him and now... he will give it to them. There was one for his family and every digidestined as well, except for Sora. Each letter was also different from one another. For a while now, he had been secretive about writing these. No one must know until the appropriate time. No one. Not even Sora. It would break her heart. But Tai knew it was for the best.

These letters would explain everything. For a long while now, Tai had been avoiding everyone. He had been hiding so many of his emotions from them, so many secrets being kept from them. No one knew what he was going through. He didn't want them to, otherwise their lives would be filled with worry. He had to keep his friends away from him, for he knew it would be disastrous.

However, Tai didn't understand the reason for his sudden personality change. He knew something was out of place. His emotions seemed to be overcoming him. Lately, he hasn't been able to control his anger and that results into hurting people. He felt something else was controlling it... something beyond his power.

Most of the letters were finished. Finally, he was on his last letter; the letter that was addressed to the one girl he loved. Sure he had been with other girls, but that was because he needed to get Sora off his mind. However, it didn't help much. Tai still thought about her... day and night. He wanted to apologize for everything, which is why he wrote these letters. He figured it was safer to explain himself that way since his emotions were sometimes a little too powerful. Sora deserved an explanation from him, and he was going to give it to her in the form of a letter, a letter that will express all the feelings, pain, and even words that came from deep within his heart.

Tai stared at the blank piece of paper lying in front of him. How should he start it? He chewed on the end of his pencil, trying to come up with the right sounding words. This letter must be different from the others.

_Dear Sora, _

_I know how-_

Before Tai could finish what he had begun writing, there was a sudden knock at his door. The boy began to panic. He immediately grabbed the letters and stuffed them in a nearby drawer, away from sight. Kari opened the door and smiled sheepishly at him.

"Hey, Tai." He turned his body so that he was facing her. "Look, I know you're busy and everything but I just wanted to check up on you... to see if you're okay."

He didn't say anything.

"Are you hungry?" she asked. He shook his head slowly. "Well, okay then but if you get hungry, I'll be happy to make you something." With that, the young girl silently left closing the door behind her.

Tai gave a sigh of relief. _'Whew, that was too close.' _

He was thankful that his sister hadn't seen them. Tai didn't know what to do if she found out. Would she try to stop him?

He stared at the door with sadness in his eyes. Kari would be heartbroken when she finds out the terrible decision he has made. Once she reads her letter, all she will find is pain and tears. Tai couldn't have her bear that pain, but he had no choice. He had to do it. Tai would sacrifice his life. It was the only way he could save his friends. The boy looked at the drawer, which held the letters.

_'I'll just have to finish it another day,' h_e thought to himself.

* * *

Kari was back in the living room finishing up the sandwich she had made. She took another bite while staring at the TV screen. The movie was actually getting scary and suspenseful that she couldn't stop watching. It was just about to get to the good part when suddenly there was a commercial break.

"I hate these commercials," she said to herself while reaching for the remote. After a few seconds, the doorbell rang. Kari looked at the clock and noticed how late it was. "I wonder who that is."

Kari made her way to the front door and unlocked it. She opened it to find a very soaked Sora.

"Sora? What are you doing here? And look... you're all cold and wet. Hurry, get inside or you'll get sick." She quickly pulled Sora into the warm apartment and closed the door.

Sora stood there shaking like crazy. "Thanks, Kari." She looked around the place, obviously searching for someone. "So where's your brother?"

"He's in his room, but I didn't think you were actually going to come over here Sora. You know you'll get sick with this type of weather."

Sora took off her shoes and placed them near the door mat. "I know. I know, but I really have to talk to Tai."

"I think that you should've waited 'till the storm was over," Kari suggested.

"Too late for that now."

Sora took off her heavily drenched raincoat and hung it on one of the door hangers. Her wet hair and clothes seemed to stick on her now cold skin. In an attempt to get warmed, the auburn haired girl shakily wrapped her arms around herself. Kari shook her head at the older girl. She didn't understand why Sora had to be out in the rain just to make it to their apartment. She must have been desperate to talk to Tai.

"Here, I'll go get you some warmer clothes and a towel to dry yourself off. Wait right here. I'll be back." Kari said right before she disappeared into her room.

Sora focused her attention on the TV in the living room. It seemed that the movie was finished because of the rolling of the credits. Sora found herself thinking about Tai again.

_'I wonder what he's doing,' _she wondered.

Then she heard his voice coming from the hall way. "Sora?"

Sora turned around and saw Tai standing a few feet away from her. "Tai?"

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "You shouldn't be here. I suggest you go home now."

Sora didn't answer him. Instead, she took a few steps toward him until she stood inches away. She lowered her eyes to the ground before looking up to meet his brown eyes.

"Tai, I'm worried about you," she said finally. "Please, you have to tell me what's going on. I know something is wrong."

"You don't need to worry about me. I'm fine." His face showed no emotion at all. "All I want you to do is stay away from me, okay."

Sora ignored what he said. "I can't just stay away from you, Tai. I need you."

Before he could say anything else to her, he felt her soft lips over his in a gentle but passionate kiss.

* * *

_A/n: Please review... I might update a lot sooner. Who knows? lol._


	6. Another Dream, Another Destiny

_A/n: Chapter 6 ... only? Man, we still got a long way to go._

* * *

**Chapter 6: Another Dream, Another Destiny**

Tai closed his eyes and relaxed as he felt Sora's soft lips against his own. He had wanted this for so long, but now was not the right time. His mind kept telling him to back off, but his body reacted differently. It was like he needed this... he needed her. The boy wrapped his arms around her small waist and began to lean more into the kiss, wanting to savor this moment.

Sora smiled at this as she too wrapped her arms around his neck for support. He pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. She then felt his warm lips trail light kisses from her cheek, down to the base of her neck. She shivered lightly as she felt his warm breath against her cold skin.

"You're so cold," he said in a whisper, his eyes still closed.

"I guess it was because I was out in the rain," she told him in a voice that was as soft as his. Her eyes were also shut. She was enjoying this soft moment with him. It felt nice and right at the moment.

"Why?" he asked, pulling her closer to him. He couldn't bear to let her go.

Sora slowly opened her eyes to look at him. "Because I wanted to see you."

Tai looked at her as he broke out of some sort of trance. His mind was pushing at him again, telling him to back off far away from her. He found his voice to speak. "I can't... We shouldn't be doing this. You have Matt."

Sora shook her head at him. "Matt and I broke up yesterday, Tai. I wasn't happy without you. It looks like it took me a while to realize that I had always loved you." She said, hoping that he wanted to hear that.

Tai, however, showed no sign that he was even satisfied. "You aren't supposed to be in love with me."

"But I am, Tai. I do love you!"

"You can't! Don't you understand! It's too dangerous to be around me! You'll get hurt and I don't want that to happen! Everyone needs to just stay away!" he yelled at her.

Sora became puzzled at what he had just said. "You want your friends to stay away because you claim you're dangerous. What the hell does that mean?"

"I don't know," Tai mumbled as he turned around and headed towards his room.

Sora began to yell at him,"Tai, you can't keep pushing me or anyone else away all the time! You need to tell us what's wrong!"

After that, she heard the slamming of his door. Sora was frustrated. She stomped her way towards the couch and sat down. As she tried to calm herself, thoughts ran in her head.

_'What's the matter with him? Dangerous? He doesn't even make any sense.' _Sora sighed.

A few minutes later, she saw Kari enter the living room with some clothes and towels in hand. The young girl sat on the couch next to Sora. She gave the auburn-haired girl a questioning look.

"What just happened? I was finding the right clothes for you when I heard some screaming. What did you and my brother talk about?"

Sora shrugged. "Nothing really. He's just being a jerk... a stupid, inconsiderate jerk. I can't believe he won't listen to me."

"You're not the only one. He doesn't listen to anyone anymore." Kari handed Sora her clothes and a towel. "Here, you should dry yourself and put these on. I wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

Sora smiled at the young girl. "Thanks, Kari. I really appreciate it." The auburn-haired girl stood up and made her way over to the bathroom to change into her clothes.

After a few minutes, Sora came out wearing the dry clothes Kari gave her. She walked into the living room and sat back down on the couch, next to where Kari was sitting.

Kari turned her attention from the television towards Sora. "Are you hungry, Sora? I could get you something to eat."

Sora shook her head. "No, it's okay. But Kari, I did come here to ask you something that I couldn't ask on the phone."

"Go ahead." Kari told her as she turned the TV. off.

"I've been trying to find out the reason for Tai's weird behavior. Has there been any strange things happening lately with him? Any mysterious things?" Sora asked the brown-haired girl.

Kari thought about it. "Now that you mentioned it, there has been some crazy stuff happening."

"Like what, exactly?"

"Well lately, Tai's been talking to himself... like he's in a real conversation with someone. And it only happens during the night, when everyone in the apartment is sleeping. I can hear him through his door, but I can't hear anyone else in the room. I don't know if he's talking to a ghost or if he's just crazy." Kari paused but then continued. "Most of the time he gets furious and I can hear him yelling. I opened his door once and I found him sitting on his bed, holding a mirror in front of him. No one else was there though."

Sora was listening with very much interest. "Holding a mirror?" Kari nodded. "Did you happen to hear what he was saying?"

"I didn't hear much of what he said, but I heard him saying '_Leave me alone.' _over and over again. Sora, I'm really scared for my brother. I don't know what to do anymore. He won't let me go near him." Kari placed her face in her hands and began to cry silently.

Sora pulled Kari towards her and hugged her, comforting the young girl. "It's gonna be alright, Kari. We'll find out what exactly Tai's going through and then we can help him."

"Thanks, Sora." Kari smiled. "Now, are you sure you don't want anything to eat?"

* * *

Tai sat on his bed thinking the situation over again. He still couldn't believe what Sora had told him earlier.

_'She loves me. But she can't love me... I mean I've always waited for her to tell me that. Now, I'm not so sure. I do love her but... it's just too risky.' _His mind and heart began to go at each other. His mind was telling him that it was way too dangerous, while his heart went for love.

Tai didn't know what to do. Should he just tell her everything, but how will that work out? There was nothing he could do to stop it. His friends' lives were in danger and he had to make sure that they remain safe... away from him. That is why he had written those letters.

He knew it. He was changing. At times, he felt like himself. Other times he felt as if someone else was inside of him, telling him what to do and controlling each of his emotions. Tai was afraid of what would happen if he could no longer control himself. What would happen to his friends? He didn't want to think about it.

Tai looked around his darkened room and stopped to stare at the clock on his dresser. _10:49. _It was getting late. The boy yawned and fell back onto his bed, looking up at his ceiling.

_'I have to try to save them. I don't know what I would do if I lost any of them. I couldn't forgive myself.' _An image of Sora came into his mind. _'So far, I know that Sora's out of the danger. But how can I be sure?' _

The boy blinked a few times as several yawns came from within himself. Tai slowly closed his eyes and before he knew it, he dozed off into another deep sleep.

It was only a few moments before Tai found himself in another room. It was so dark he could barely see. He looked around and stared at the bed across from him. There on the bed was a person. It was Sora. She was sitting up on her bed, looking at him with worrisome eyes.

"Tai? What are you doing here?" she asked him.

He didn't answer. He just stared at her, already knowing what he was supposed to do. Tai started taking several steps towards her as she shifted back on her bed uncomfortably.

"Tai? Are you okay?" Sora asked noticing how close he was getting to her. "Tai, you're scaring me."

Still, he didn't say anything. Tai stood in front of her, now glaring at her with menacing eyes.

Sora became frightened. "Tai, what's wrong? What are you doing?"

Her eyes went wide when she felt his strong hands grip her neck. She immediately reacted and grabbed his hands, trying to pull them off of her. However, it was no use. He began to push her down onto her bed and continued to aggressively choke her. Sora struggled to get free, but he was too strong. She felt herself weakening. Sora could no longer breathe. Her vision became a blur as Tai gripped her throat even tighter.

The brunet grinned evilly as he no longer felt her struggling against him. He released her throat and stared at her lifeless body. She was dead. He had killed her.

Tai immediately woke up and sat up on his bed, panting heavily. He looked around and noticed he was in his room again. It was still dark outside and it seemed that the rain had stopped. He turned to his side and stared at the clock that read _2:47. _Tai tore the blanket off his body and quickly, but quietly got out of bed.

He walked out of his room and headed into the living room, where he saw Sora sleeping peacefully on the couch. He sighed, knowing that Sora was safe. Tai walked back to his room and closed the door behind him. He climbed onto his bed, fully awake. After that experience, he couldn't find the courage to sleep anymore. Tai knew that he was a threat.

It had been another horrible dream. This time it had Sora in it. Tai was afraid. He thought that she would remain safe from him, but he was wrong. Something terrible was going to happen to her. Now, she was in danger just like the rest of his friends. He hated these stupid dreams. It was as if they were visions of the future. Tai hadn't told anyone about these nightmares. Instead, he kept it a secret just like everything else. He had been having these 'dreams' for a couple of months now. They always seem to be so real as if it were actually happening.

Each of the nightmares was different, but they all had one thing in common... death of his digidestined friends. They all died at the hands of Tai. What if these were to really happen? Matt was the first one he had dreamt of killing. However, it was at the school. That is the reason why Tai had been avoiding Matt all this time. Something might happen. After Matt, he dreamt of everyone else's death, except Sora's. She was the last one. She hadn't been in any of his dreams until this very night. Would he be able to change all of this?

Tai covered his face in his hands. "Why is this happening?" he asked to no one in particular. "I don't want to hurt them. I can't hurt my friends! Leave me alone!"

* * *

_A/n: Will Tai's 'death' dreams come true? Perhaps. How will he stop them? Who knows... he only has one solution. What exactly is controlling him? Don't look at me..._

_I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter. Please Review..._


	7. Spiritual Encounter

**Chapter 7: Spiritual Encounter**

The auburn-haired girl tossed and turned a bit on the couch as a few loud noises entered both her ears. She stirred in her sleep as the sounds became clearer. Soon it became a voice, a voice that she recognized all too well. It sounded like...

Sora awoke from her sleep with the sound of Tai's screams. Knowing that something was wrong, she hurriedly tried to rub off the sleep and pushed herself to go to him. She quickly pulled the blanket off her and darted to his room, afraid of what she might find in there.

"Leave me alone!" Tai screamed over and over again. "What is it that you want from me! You can't make me do it! You can't! Leave me the fuck alone!"

Just then, the door to his room flew wide open. Sora immediately rushed to him in a quick second. She searched his face for any answers of why he was acting like this. However, she couldn't really find out what was going on with him. He was repeating his own words, not paying attention that she was there.

"Tai! What's wrong!" she asked him but received no answer. He didn't even look at her. "Tai?"

"Fuck! Leave me alone!" His eyes were closed shut as he kept on mumbling the same things.

"Tai!" Sora said a little frightened. "Tell me what's wrong. Let me help you."

Kari came rushing in as well. "What happened Sora? What's wrong with him?" She ran towards her brother's bed.

"I don't know. He won't talk to me." Sora began to panic. What was she going to do? Something was definitely wrong here. Either that or Tai was practically losing it.

"Tai? Tai! Snap out of it!" Kari yelled as she softly shook her brother. "What's wrong with you?"

Sora knew there was only one way to get his attention, but it was going to hurt. She raised her hand in the air and swung it across his face, leaving a big red mark. Tai quickly reached his hand up to rub his cheek. The stinging pain finally hit him. He opened his eyes and looked at the two. Both girls expressed a look of concern.

It was silent.

"Tai, what happened?" Kari asked. "Are you hurt?"

"Yeah, Tai. We were worried about you. What's going on? Were you attacked or something?" Sora looked at him, waiting for the answers she needed.

After a few seconds, Tai spoke, "It was nothing."

Both of them looked at him as if he was crazy.

"Tai, I don't think that was nothing. You have to tell us what happened." Sora said sitting down beside him on the bed. "Why were you screaming? Are you in pain? C'mon, you can tell us. That way we can help you."

Tai thought for a moment. He needed to come up with some sort of lie. There was no way he was going to tell them the truth. "Okay, it was because I... I had a bad dream."

"A bad dream?" Kari asked, not really buying this.

Tai nodded his head. "Yeah, I guess it was because I had been watching too many scary movies lately. They're beginning to affect my head."

"I don't believe that, Tai." Sora said to him.

He gave off an angry look towards her. "What do you know?"

The brown-haired boy immediately got up from his bed and walked to the bathroom, leaving the two in a much more worried state than before. Sora gave out a small breath and looked towards Kari who seemed pretty tired at the moment.

"You okay, Kari?" Sora asked her.

The young girl sighed. "Yeah, but I don't think my brother's okay. I just wish I could help him. It seems that he's getting worse."

"Don't worry. Tomorrow, I'm going to talk to Tai and I'll make sure that I get answers from him. He isn't going to keep ignoring us."

Kari looked at her. "I don't think it would be that easy, Sora..." She paused to think. "...But maybe... he might talk to you. You guys are pretty close friends. Who knows? I just hope he's not too stubborn."

Sora smiled as Kari began to yawn. "I think you should go back to sleep, Kari. You look like you could use a lot of rest right now. Try not to worry so much."

"What about you? You should go to bed too, you know," she said.

"Don't worry about me. I'll wait until Tai comes back... I have to talk to him for a while."

"Alright then. Good night, Sora," Kari said as she walked out of her brother's room and into hers.

"Good night."

* * *

It was quiet as Sora sat on his bed, waiting for him to arrive. It would be impossible for her to go back to sleep anyway after what had just happened a moment ago. She needed to at least talk to him before she going back to sleep, just to make sure that he was okay. She closed her eyes as thoughts of him came into her head.

Tai's problem was even bigger than she thought. It's affecting everyone, including her. This wasn't just some kind of teenage problem; this was serious. Something is really troubling him. It was as if he was in extreme pain and agony. Sora really wants to help him, but the only way she could is by first learning what the problem is. If only he could tell her.

Her thoughts were interrupted. She looked at the doorway as she heard approaching footsteps. After a while, Tai entered the room. He stopped halfway in as soon as he noticed that Sora was still there.

"Why is it that you're still here?" He asked her.

Sora stood up and walked over to him. "I just wanted to check up on you and-"

Tai cut her off. "Look, I'm fine alright. Stop worrying."

"How can I stop worrying, Tai?" she immediately asked him. "Something bad is happening to you and I want to know why. Why is it that you can't tell me?"

"I have my reasons," he told her.

Tears began forming in her crimson orbs. "Reasons? What reasons? Tai, you're my best friend and I don't want anything to happen to you. Why can't you understand that?"

He stared at the ground for a moment before looking back at her. "You know that I care for you so much, right?" She nodded. "Then, as your best friend, I am asking you to stay away from me."

Sora shook her head. "Tai, I don't understand."

"Look, it's getting late. Maybe you should go back to sleep. I promise you that you will understand... but only at the right moment. It's best that I not tell you now," he said that as clearly as he could.

Sora looked at him, but then realized that he was right. It was getting awfully late and she felt kind of tired as well. Maybe she should just wait until morning for this conversation. Right now wasn't a good time to be asking him questions.

"Fine then, but tomorrow... we're going to have to talk. I don't care what your excuse is." As soon as she said this, she smiled at him. "I'll see you in the morning. Good night, Tai."

She leaned up towards him and gave him a light kiss on the lips before heading out of the room. Tai stood there, a little shocked at first. Inside he felt content, but at the same time frightened. He had to think this through carefully. Even if he loved her with all his being, he knew they couldn't be together. There would be a possible chance of him harming her and he certainly couldn't allow that.

He walked over to his bed and closed his eyes, trying to get back to his sleep. Hopefully, there wouldn't be any more nightmares. It seemed peaceful enough... until suddenly an image of him holding Matt by the throat entered his mind.

Everything was so clear to him and it was as if he was really there. Tai could hear Matt gasping for air; he could literally feel him banging the blond against the side of the wall, punching him fist after fist. Soon, Tai felt himself gripping a blade in his hand.

Tai quickly opened his eyes, afraid of the image that had been on his mind a few moments ago. It couldn't have been a dream. He knew that he was fully awake. Could that be a vision that he had? What if it was the future?. No. Tai didn't want this. He and Matt were good friends, even if they fought sometimes. Tai would never do anything to harm him or their friendship.

The brunet blinked a few times, realizing that he wasn't alone. At the corner of his room, he noticed a tall dark figure. Tai froze with tremendous amount of fear. It was the same dark figure from his dream a couple nights ago, except this time it was in his room. He closed his eyes and shook his head trying to shake off the image. It had to be his imagination, but soon he found that he was wrong.

He opened his eyes to find the dark shadow only a few feet away from him and getting closer with every passing second. Tai found that he couldn't move. His body was frozen in place. Even his voice went missing. All of his thoughts were completely shut down. It was just like the dream he had, except this was real. Could it be the end of him?

As the shadow came closer to him, Tai began to feel all these negative feelings and energy coming from within it. The energy was very powerful and it was as if Tai was absorbing all of it. All the feelings of anger, hate, jealousy, agony, fear, and sadness were running through his body.

He looked up at the dark figure that was directly in front of him. It was a black shadow, but it was solid as well. It wasn't transparent as you would think. There was no way to see through it. The figure had no face, but Tai could see something within its dark form. He looked closer, but then tried desperately to look away as he saw images of himself hurting all of his friends, one by one.

In a quick moment, the dark shadow loomed over his body and Tai soon found that he couldn't breathe. After a while, everything went black.

* * *

_A/n: Something dreadful is happening to our dear Tai. Let's just hope that he's alright and that he doesn't hurt any of his friends. If you want to know what happens sooner... _


	8. Wild Emotions

_A/n: Alright, then. I'd like to say thanks again for the reviews. You guys are great. Because of your excellent work, I present to you... _

_The next chapter!_

* * *

**Chapter 8: Wild Emotions**

Tai's eyes immediately flew open, staring at the ceiling above him. The bright rays of the sun illuminated the room, making the boy squint his eyes. The rain must have already stopped earlier. He stared at the clock beside him, indicating that it was well passed noon. The boy must have overslept. He blinked a couple of times and sat up on top of his bed, looking around his room. He directed his sight towards the corner where he saw 'it'. After staring at that same spot for a while, he realized that nothing was there.

_'What the hell was that thing? Was that all a dream?'_ He shook his head. _'No, it couldn't be. It felt so real. And I'm sure I was awake the whole damn time!'_

There were strange feelings inside of him that were beginning to build up. He could feel it. These feelings and emotions within him were growing powerful and were slowly affecting his mind. Nothing was positive from the feeling. Tai felt like it was ripping his whole being apart. All of it must have been absorbed from that strange dark figure last night.

He closed his eyes, remembering last night's images of him hurting Matt. Tai furrowed his eyebrows, angered that these visions were in his head. Now, he's sure of how he could prevent this from happening. There was no way he was going to school tomorrow. He had to avoid Matt at all costs. But then, somewhere in deepest part of his mind was telling him to get rid of Matt, for he was the enemy.

Tai quickly shook his head. _'No. What was I thinking?'_

He stood up from his bed and walked over to his closet to get dressed. He figured that he needed to get out and get some air so that he could think of what to do. As soon as he was finished, he walked over to his door and opened it, only to find Sora standing on the other side. Tai was taken by surprise.

"Hey, Tai," she said in a sweet voice.

"Uh, hi," he said a little uneasily.

Sora smiled at him. "Did you sleep well? It seems like you just woke up."

"Yeah, I kinda overslept."

Sora looked at him and noticed that he was all dressed. "So, where are you going?"

"I'm going out," he quickly said, trying to exit out of his room. However, Sora kept blocking his way.

"Don't think that I'm gonna just let you leave, Tai. Today, you're going to tell me everything, so I don't care what your excuse is this time."

"Grrr... get out of my way, Sora, or else," he growled at her.

Tai suddenly began to feel frustrated. He felt like he could no longer control these emotions held deep inside. Something in him was boiling.

Sora gave him a serious look. "You can't scare me Tai. I know you better than that. I'm not moving from this spot, not until you start talking."

A strange feeling overcame Tai. He immediately felt anger rising within him. He grabbed her shoulders, pushing her against the closest wall and whispered in a low voice to her.

"Don't think that I'm not gonna hurt you... because I just might."

Sora stared at him, deeply frightened at this sudden behavior. "You wouldn't."

He grinned at her. "Why do you look so scared, Sora?

She searched his face, wondering if this was all just a joke of some kind. "Tai? Please stop this."

He didn't answer her. Instead, he quickly released her and rested his eyes on the floor. "I'm sorry."

The auburn girl became confused. He was acting stranger and stranger by the minute. She took a step towards him, but stopped when she noticed that he was crying. His eyes were shut tight as uncontrollable tears ran down his face. She looked at him with sad eyes as she had never before seen Tai cry like this.

"Tai?" she asked as she too began to feel tears in her eyes. "Please, Tai. Let me help you."

"No. You can't." He paused a while before looking up at her. "You can't help me. I need to be alone right now."

Sora watched him as he quickly ran towards the front door and out of the apartment. _'Oh, Tai. Something really is wrong. It seems you really do need our help.' _

After a few minutes, Kari opened her door and stared questioningly at the older girl. "Sora, what happened?" She then looked inside her brother's room to find it empty. "And where did Tai go?"

Sora turned to face Kari. "I'm not sure where he went, but I'm going to head over to Izzy's for a while. I think it's time that he should know about this."

* * *

The streets of Odaiba were extremely busy. It was rarely quiet at this time of day. The stores were packed. Cars were rushing towards one place to another, often honking at the stupidity of some drivers. Even the sidewalks were busy. The people were walking by with smiles and laughter written on their happy little faces.

Time was going by so slowly today. That's what it seemed like for Tai. It's only been a few hours since he left the apartment. However, it seemed like forever since he had been wandering in the streets. He hadn't been aware of any of his surroundings lately. His mind was heavily concentrated on more important matters.

He continued walking along the pavement with his hands in his pockets. As he passed by people with joyful expressions, he couldn't help but feel angry and jealous. It was almost like they had something that he didn't. Happiness. It was as if the joy inside was taken from him. All he felt now was sorrow and pain inside.

The brunet tried to recall what had happened earlier at the apartment. His fists tightened. He had actually threatened Sora. Just what had happened anyways? He didn't feel like himself. Although, he did know very clearly what was going on at that moment. He knew he was right there. Was he being manipulated somehow, yet he didn't know it?

_'Why did I feel so angry anyways? I can't believe I even tried to hurt her. ' _Tai thought to himself as he walked over to the nearest bench._ 'I don't know what came over me. It felt like I was a different person, one with so much hate inside. But my mind was still in control. It's as if my mind is slowly changing. What's going on with me?' _

Tai knew his situation was getting worse and worse by the minute. The emotions running through him were too intense for him to handle. He felt so much anger and hate against his friends that it was driving him crazy. It made part of him want to hurt them, even though he knew that he couldn't. How could he hurt them? They were way too important to him.

_'I don't know if I could control myself next time. What should I do?'_

* * *

Sora told everything she knew about Tai's situation to Izzy. The red-headed boy listened attentively to every word she had to say. Things seemed to be quite interesting now and quite confusing too. As soon as she finished, Izzy carefully tried putting them together.

"So, you're saying that the reason why Tai's been avoiding us all this time is because he thinks he'll be putting us in danger, right? And for the past few months, he's been conversing with someone, even though when you entered his room, no one was else was there," Izzy said trying to figure this one out.

"Yeah. That's what Kari told me. You should've seen him last night, Izzy." Sora closed her eyes. "It's like he's fighting against something..."

The red-headed boy leaned on his chair a bit. "That's strange and it's got me rather curious." Izzy pondered on this. "Hmm... maybe something really is affecting Tai. Maybe it's some kind of unknown force that we don't know anything about."

"Maybe…" she said, "…but Izzy, whatever this is, it's changing him. I believe that the Tai we know is still there, but he's slowly disappearing. What can we do, Izzy?"

Izzy sighed. "I don't know. Looks like we'll have to confront him tomorrow. We can't be too sure on anything right now until we have more information. This could be more serious than we thought. Anyway, I'll have to let the others know about this."

"Why not now?" she asked him. "We can't just wait. Tai needs us."

"Now isn't a good time, Sora. It's getting pretty late. Besides, I think it's really best when all of us are there. We're a team and it's time we should remind Tai that we're here for him."

Sora nodded. "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then, Izzy."

"See ya, Sora."

* * *

Sora exited out of the building and headed in the direction of the Kamiya's apartment. She wanted to try to talk to him before she headed home. She couldn't wait until tomorrow. What if there wasn't much time?

She finally made it to the front door and quickly knocked. After a few seconds she heard footsteps coming from inside. The door quickly opened, revealing a very worried Kari.

"Kari? What's wrong?"

"Tai hasn't come home yet," she simply said.

"He hasn't?"

The young girl shook her head. "I'm worried about him."

Sora stood there for a moment before realizing what to do. "Wait here, Kari. I'll go find your brother."

"But Sora, it's already getting dark outside. You can't-" she called out to her. However, Sora already left.

* * *

It was late as darkness fell over the streets of Odaiba. The place was pretty quiet and wasn't as busy as it was during the daytime. Tai wandered around, figuring out where he should go. He then suddenly felt his throat go dry.

"I'm thirsty. I need something to drink," he said to himself as he searched his pockets for cash but found it empty.

Tai spotted a boy not too far from him. He looked to be about fifteen or so. The brunet smirked as the kid drew nearer to him. As soon as the boy turned the corner, Tai roughly grabbed his shirt and shoved him against the brick wall.

"What the hell?" The boy shouted. "Hey! What the hell are you doing?"

Tai smiled evilly at him. "Hey kid. You better hand over all your money...fast!"

"Why should I?" he spat out.

Tai held out a fist at him. "Or else I'll beat the shit out of you!"

The boy gulped.

* * *

Sora found herself walking along the dark streets. Tai was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps she should've just sent for the police instead. Going out alone this late was just creepy. She continued her walk when all of a sudden, she heard a few coughing noises. She glimpsed around the corner to see a boy with a mass of brown hair leaning against the brick wall.

"Tai? Is that you?" she asked.

The boy looked at her. It was definitely Tai. He was holding, what seemed to be an empty beer bottle in his hand.

"Tai, I think it's time for you to go home now. Kari's worried sick about you."

Tai didn't say anything. He lifted the bottle in his hand and threw it to the ground with a great amount of force. The bottle shattered into many pieces, startling Sora. He began to slowly advance towards her, giving her a stern look.

Sora didn't know what to do. He was really scaring her now. Should she panic? But this was her best friend! There was no way he would do anything to harm her! Would he?

* * *

_A/n: That's it for this chapter! So long awesome readers!_


	9. Strike in the Heart

_A/n: Here it is. Another update, another chapter… as well as more mysteries in store for you... Does that annoy some of you? You probably wouldn't like that, huh... sure you would! It makes it that more exciting! Who likes a story without suspense?_

* * *

**Chapter 9: Strike in the Heart**

Sora couldn't believe that she could find herself in a predicament such as this. Tai certainly wasn't acting like himself, as if it wasn't really him at all. He looked so different and his behavior was somewhat unnatural, especially the way he was walking towards her. Sora was now scared beyond words.

The look Tai was displaying to her was overall very frightening. His face was serious and seemed to show no emotion, but an empty expression which was now stabbing through her own soul. Even his eyes showed no sign of normal. They weren't their usual sparkling brown color as they used to. They were just... empty and dark as if they held deep hatred within him.

_'He doesn't look alright. Has he been drinking?' _She thought. _'Something just doesn't feel right... '_

"It looks like you're scared, Sora," he said in a low voice as he approached her. "Just what are you afraid of?"

Sora felt herself slightly shaking at the tone of his voice. "Tai, I think you're drunk. I need to get you home now."

He chuckled softly. "Who said I was drunk? I feel just fine..." Tai began to draw nearer and nearer to her as she slowly found herself backing away. "You just happened to find yourself in an unlucky situation... with me."

"Tai, I'm not playing with you. You'd better stop this nonsense right now." Her voice quivered.

"Oh, I get it." He smiled at her. "You're afraid of me? Now, what would I do to you? Hmm, you got any ideas?"

The brunet was now standing directly in front of her, grinning at her sudden loss of speech. Fear now became evident in her face. Sora, however, was not going to let him intimidate her. She had enough of his stupid act.

"Tai, I only want to help you. All of us do, and you need to start cooperating with us, so stop being such a jerk!" she shouted angrily at him.

"Is that an insult?" he asked. "Because I think it is. Hmm, maybe I should deal with you first... instead of Matt."

She stared at him in confusion. "What does that mean?"

He leaned in closer to her and whispered. "Tell me what you're afraid of, Sora... I can very much give it to you."

She gasped, finally taking the courage to take a step back, but froze when his hand roughly grabbed her arm. His grip on her was so tight; Sora felt wet tears form in her crimson eyes. He pulled her closer to him until their faces were inches apart. He smirked as she squirmed against him.

"Tai, let go!" she cried, trying to pull her arm away, but he seemed to hold on even tighter.

"Don't think that I'm gonna let you leave, Sora. Tonight... you're gonna get what's comin' to you... and I'm sure of it."

She continued screaming back at him. "And you're gonna get what's coming to you! Let go of me!"

"Oh, really." He grinned. "I don't think you can do anything... You can't even save yourself, Sora... My weaker self won't save you either. You see... I'm afraid I'm not who I used to be anymore, so I suggest you get used to it. This new me is much stronger than the old one, and that's how it's gonna be from now on."

Sora couldn't believe it. Tai had definitely gone crazy; he was out of his mind. Maybe he really is drunk, after drinking that entire bottle of beer... The alcohol was probably driving this insanity of his. Since when did he start drinking anyways?

She knew that she had to help him, but first she had to help herself. An idea suddenly came to her. She quickly raised her free arm and punched him square on the face, knocking him hard to ground. The boy groaned as he felt the stinging pain, leaving Sora a chance to escape and run for help.

As soon as she turned the other way to run, he had instantly grabbed her leg and fiercely yanked her down to the same level as him. Sora moaned as the front of her body hit the solid concrete. The boy then crawled on top her back, growling at her earlier actions.

"Shit, Sora! That fuckin' hurts!" he yelled at her, venom in his voice. "You have no right to hit me damn it! Maybe I should do the same to you!"

"Get off of me Tai!" she screamed struggling to free herself. "Get off or I'll call the cops!"

The brunet became furious. He turned her over so that she was now facing him, pinning her body hard to the ground.

"You hurt me, baby," he breathed against her. "Best friends don't hurt each other and I'm sure that you know that. Now, it's your turn to feel the pain."

He suddenly grabbed her throat, squeezing it tight so she couldn't breathe. Sora's eyes went wide at this, feeling herself choke from his strength.

"Tai! Tai!" she cried trying her best to fight against him. "Please let me go. I can't breathe!"

Tears streamed down her face as she began to struggle less and less. Tai smirked. He felt like he was enjoying this, seeing someone in great pain, but then a new feeling entered in him. It wasn't a feeling of hate or anger but rather of sorrow and regret. The feeling was overwhelming that it seemed to be flowing uncontrollably in his mind. Sora's cries were finally getting to him. He immediately felt immense pain deeply forming inside his heart.

It took Tai a matter of seconds to realize what he was doing. He quickly released his grip and stared down at her, speechless. This wasn't something he wanted to happen; he didn't think this was going to happen. The brunet slowly stood up, regretting everything he had just done.

Sora coughed heavily as she slowly tried to calm her breathing.

"Sora?" he softly called to her.

She stood up too, avoiding his eyes as best she could. There was no way she was going to even look at him. What he did just now was... wrong. Her heart ached being near him. She needed to get away from him... far away.

"Sora?" He reached a shaky hand towards her, but then jumped when she immediately slapped it away.

"Leave me alone, Tai!" she screamed at him. "I don't wanna talk to you!"

She hurriedly turned herself away from him and began to run a great distance away. Her footsteps were heard down the darkened streets, echoing along the night.

* * *

Sora finally found herself at the door to her apartment. She quickly opened it, stepping in quietly, knowing that her mom was already fast asleep. She removed her shoes and placed her coat on the racket, wiping any remaining tears that fell.

She slowly walked over to her room and softly shut the door, leaning her back against it. Her eyes were tightly closed as she silently began to cry to herself.

"Why did he hurt me?" she asked herself. "I was only trying to help him. H-He's becoming a monster..."

Her tears started falling even harder now as she slowly dropped her body to the floor. She placed her hands to her face and cried for as long as she could. Thinking about him caused her so much pain at the moment.

Tai has changed and she had to be aware of that now. With that kind of behavior, there can be a possibility of him hurting everyone. Everyone... even his friends and family. Tonight, he was able to demonstrate that. How can she help him now? She was completely terrified of him... of what he would've done to her...

"I don't think he even wants our help," she softly said, wiping the tears off her face.

Sora felt the need to be comforted. Tonight had been really hard on her. She looked towards the phone lying on the floor a few feet away from her. There was only one person in her mind to call at times like this, times where she always felt down because of Tai. That person was still there for her...

Matt.

She quickly picked up the phone and dialed his number. The ringing was heard...

"Hello?" A voice from the other line spoke.

"Hello, Matt?" she whispered, trying desperately to keep herself from crying.

"Sora?" Matt asked concerned of the sadness that was evident in her voice. "Sora, tell me what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

She didn't know if she should tell him or not, but she had to. "It's Tai... Something happened tonight..."

* * *

_'What have I done?' _Tai thought as he dropped to his knees with tears in his eyes. He pounded his fists against the concrete floor several times until they began to bleed.

"Why couldn't I control myself?" he cried breaking down into an uncontrollable sob. "What's happening to me? I had almost killed her!"

_'Yes, but she escaped...'_ A deep low voice spoke to him.

Tai became frightened and completely surprised at the unknown response. He quickly stood up searching for the location of the strange voice, but unfortunately found no one.

The deep voice continued. _'... It wasn't her time yet, anyways... her time will come soon... very soon...'_

"Who's there?" Tai asked.

He looked around him, but all he could find is empty surroundings. That voice was unfamiliar to him, but at the same time, it also sounded quite familiar. Whatever it was, it was probably responsible for affecting his mind and controlling his actions like this.

"Whatever the hell you are, you better leave me alone, especially Sora and my friends!" Tai shouted aloud at the open and empty surroundings.

_'I'm afraid that's not going to happen!' _The voice hissed.

Tai continued to search for the voice, but couldn't find it anywhere. Was he just imagining it all? Or was it all in his head?

"Who are you?" he asked angrily.

_'I'm you.' _It said.

Before Tai could ask it any more questions, the voice had disappeared into the deep corners of his mind.

* * *

_A/n: Until next time..._


	10. A Growing Fire

_A/n: Sorry for the wait, everyone! I've been kinda busy with tests and everything. Thanks for your reviews! It sure makes it easier to write a chapter._

* * *

**Chapter 10: A Growing Fire**

It was Monday morning, another day for school and the start of a new week. Sora, however, didn't feel like going to school today. Instead, she'd rather stay at home. She felt awfully horrible inside, so horrible that nothing could possibly make her smile at the moment. Her eyes were stinging with stained tears. Last night, she practically cried herself to sleep after having a long conversation on the phone with Matt.

Matt was extremely surprised to hear what Sora had told him last night. He was basically speechless for nearly five minutes, angry too for the most part of the discussion. His reaction to it was easily noticeable to her. Through the phone, she could almost hear his angry grunts and could even picture him gritting his teeth in fury. It was pretty much obvious how much Matt cared for her.

Knowing that this wasn't going to be secret for long, Sora had told him everything she knew about what was happening to Tai and this strange behavior of his. She told Matt about Tai's cold actions, and all of the horrible things that he even had the courage to say to her.

Last night had been the scariest moment of her entire life. Never before has Tai done anything like that for as long as she can remember. It's just not like him. He's not the kind of person who finds pleasure in hurting others, nor does he keep all of his problems to himself. He's normally very open with everyone as well as constantly being there for others when they needed him.

Everything that had happened not too long ago was still fresh and clear within her now fragile mind. Sora couldn't understand his motives for all this. Neither could she stand the way he furiously glared at her, his expression so intense and full of rage. In his eyes, she could clearly see hatred rapidly flowing through him as this also brought her great fear for him. The fact that Tai had almost tried to kill her terrified her greatly.

What will now become of him? Is it still possible to bring his old self back? Or is it too late?

Sora inhaled a deep breath, realizing that she couldn't just stay home and cry to herself all day, hoping that nothing had really happened. That would be lying... She had to inform the rest of the digidestined before something else happens, something that she might not be able to predict.

Besides, it was highly possible that Tai would show up to school today and because of that, she would use that chance to confront him whether he likes it or not. There was no giving up. She had to get through to him this time... she had too.

Without him, her life would be nothing but an empty hole and not only that... Tai would be hurting everyone who's close and dear to him as well. He needed to understand that...

After a few moments, she stood up from the foot of her bed and prepared herself for a painful school day.

* * *

Kari walked back and forth through the kitchen and into the living room with her backpack already placed on her back. School was going to begin soon and Tai hadn't come out of his room yet. Usually he's the first to leave the apartment, but this time he seems to be taking his time.

_'What's taking him so long?' _Kari wondered as she sat herself on the sofa.

She was actually very thankful that her brother miraculously came home last night after being out for so long, but the look on his face once he walked through the front door told her something happened... something very unpleasant. When she tried asking him what the problem was, all he did was brush her off, telling her to stay away.

Kari respected his wishes but also realized that since he did come home, she had to tell Sora right away. However, when she dialed her phone number, the phone line was busy. Something told Kari that Sora already knew.

Not wanting to be late for school, the young girl stood up from the couch and quickly walked over to where Tai was at. She knocked on his door several times before opening it.

She found her brother lying on his bed with nothing but boxers on. That told Kari that he was planning on staying home for the day. What was she going to do? She couldn't just allow him to skip school today. More importantly, she couldn't just leave him alone without any company. What if something happened and she wasn't there?

Tai didn't even notice she was there. His hands were covering his face as he kept on muttering a few things to himself.

Kari took a few steps into his room, staring at him with sad and worried eyes. "Tai, school is about to start soon and you have to get dressed already. Please don't think about staying here by yourself."

"I'm not going to school," he mumbled through his hands, rolling on his bed so that his back was facing her.

"But Tai-" she started.

"DAMN IT KARI!" he screamed at her as he sat up on his bed.

Kari immediately jumped, frightened by his sudden outburst. The young girl lowered her eyes to the ground, afraid to look at her own brother. Tai felt instantly guilty once again when he saw the expression on his sister's face.

He sighed trying desperately to calm himself down. "I'm not going to school. Please... just leave me here, Kari."

Kari looked at him, and then softy nodded at his request. After taking another glance at her tired brother, she exited out of his room and slowly closed his door, not wanting to enrage him again.

The room was silent. All Tai could hear were his own thoughts playing in his head... the same thoughts that ran over and over again.

_'I don't know what to do. I can no longer keep myself in control. Something else is... controlling me, changing my entire being!'_

The boy sat on his bed rethinking of last night's events. He didn't want to remember it, but it was there clear in his mind. He had tried to hurt the girl he loved, and if he hadn't gotten back in control Sora would've been... gone, and it would be his fault.

_'Now, what do I do? Sora's probably afraid of me because of what I've done to her…' _But he also couldn't help but wonder if it was really him who was committing all those actions.

Tai knew something was inside him. That voice he heard last night couldn't just come out of nowhere. It was definitely coming from his mind, creating these negative thoughts and possibly causing this drastic change in him. But Tai also knew that at the same time, he was there enjoying the idea of hurting others.

He shook his head. "I have to concentrate and focus a way out of this, before all of this affects my body and mind again. As long as I avoid Matt, everything's good," he said to himself before hopping out of bed.

Tai quickly got dressed and walked out of the apartment, hoping to get a little fresh air to help clear his already tainted mind.

* * *

The lunch bell rang at Odaiba High as everyone began to turn into their cheerful selves, everyone except the digidestined gang. They were rather in a more crestfallen state. While the younger digidestined have been called to meet after school at the park; Matt, Sora, Izzy, and Mimi gathered at lunch to discuss the situation more clearly.

They were all at their usual table having their private conversation, away from other wandering listeners. Matt sat there, anger written all over his face while the rest of them sat in major shock and disbelief.

"Just who does he think he is anyway? I can't believe Tai would do that to you," Mimi said, after hearing what happened to Sora last night. "It's just unbelievable!"

"Well, you're going to have to believe it because he just might do it again," Sora said in a very tired voice. "I don't think he's joking at all."

Izzy didn't really have anything to say. He was completely astonished that Tai would actually go this far to harm Sora. It was very unlikely that Tai would even do that. Izzy just couldn't find a clear explanation for it. The only way to help their leader is to actually have a few words with him, even if it's by force.

"You don't think that he'll come after all of us, do you?" Mimi became a little frightened. "I mean... what if it's not just you that he wants to hurt."

"I don't know," Sora said as tears slightly began to form again in tired eyes. "I just want to help him, but he keeps pushing me away... "

Mimi gave Sora a comforting hug. "It's alright Sora."

"I got it!" Izzy exclaimed. They all looked at him as he continued on. "My theory is that… Tai's working for the dark side, and that his mind has now been corrupted by evil. Now he wants to get rid of us so that we wouldn't stand in his way. "

"What? What kind of theory is that, Izzy? There are no dark forces," Mimi stated not really wanting to believe this theory of his.

"How would you know?" Izzy asked.

"Do you honestly believe there are dark forces? We're finished with all that annoying crap. I think he just can't handle his own problems and now he's becoming what you call a 'bad boy'. I don't think he remembers his friends," Mimi said.

"Well, we've all seen some crazy stuff before," Izzy said as he looked toward Sora's direction. "What we know right now is that he tried to kill you... and what if he had meant it? He just might find a chance to do it again. He needs help. I just hope it's not too late."

"Yeah, but something stopped him from killing me last night," Sora said with a hint of hope in her eyes. "Maybe there's still a chance to help him."

"It's possible," Izzy said before asking her something. "I just hope he doesn't end up actually killing someone."

It was silent before Sora looked over to Matt, who had been quiet the entire time.

"Matt?" she called out to him.

The blond looked at her in confusion. "What?"

"Last night, I heard from Tai that he planned on... killing you."

Matt didn't know what to say. What did Tai have against him? They have always been pretty good friends. Sure Matt was furious with him and he would probably kick Tai's ass for what he did to Sora, but he wouldn't go that far as to actually send him to his death.

"I say we go talk to Tai right now," Mimi suggested.

"Yeah, but he's not here right now. He probably knew that we were going to look for him, so he didn't show up to school today," Izzy said taking a deep breath. "Lunch is almost over. Let's just pick up where we left off after school. We'll have to meet Davis and the others at the park."

"Alright," Mimi said getting up from the table.

Sora and Izzy stood up as well. Matt didn't move from his spot. Instead he remained seated at the table, not really aware of anything around him.

"Matt? Are you coming?" Sora asked him.

He looked at her and shook his head. "No. I'll catch up with you guys later okay."

"Well, if you say so," Izzy said making his way to his next class.

Sora stared at her ex-boyfriend before placing her hand on his shoulder. "Please don't do anything stupid, okay Matt. I know Tai probably didn't mean it."

"How can you say that, Sora? He hurt you and now he's after me too. That's just crazy," Matt said. "I don't know what the hell is wrong with him."

"I know it seems like that, but I know the real Tai's still there somehow," she said hoping that he wouldn't get too angry for all this. "Just don't make things worse by fighting with him."

He looked at her before he spoke. "Fine."

* * *

The day went by and school was finally over. The digidestined were all gathered at the park waiting for a few more to show up. Soon, Sora and Matt were the only ones left who hadn't arrived yet.

"Where are they?" Davis asked getting a little impatient. "Don't they know that this is an important meeting?"

"I'm sure they know, Davis," Izzy said.

After a few minutes, they all spotted Sora running in their direction. She stopped in front of them, breathless and exhausted.

"Sora, what took you so long?" Joe asked her. "And where's Matt? Have you seen him?"

"I couldn't find him anywhere." Sora managed to say. "I think he might've been looking for Tai himself."

"Why on earth would he do that?" Izzy asked. "I thought I told him that we need to go together."

"I don't know, but we gotta find him right now," Sora said as she began to search for Matt before something terrible were to happen.

* * *

_A/n: Hope you enjoyed that chapter._


	11. Another Rivalry Match

**Chapter 11: Another Rivalry Match**

Tai found himself strolling along the beach where the cool winds blew upon his face. He closed his eyes and listened to the peaceful sound of the waves rolling back and forth along the shoreline. Opening his eyes in a slow motion, he gazed toward the sun where colors of pink, violet, and orange blended softly together, creating a beautiful sunset. For once in a long time, his mind was finally at a calm state.

As he continued to walk further across the sandy beach, he came to notice a particular boy with blond hair heading closer and closer to him. Tai stopped, grasping the fact that it was Matt who was walking toward him.

_'It can't be...' _Tai thought with a nervous look. _'Matt's not supposed to be here... '_

Tai tried to walk in the other direction, away from Matt, but it was no use. His body stood still, not wanting to move at all. It was as if his mind told him that Matt was his next victim.

After a short amount of time, the blond-haired boy stood only a few feet in front of him. His face showed no anger, but rather of great disappointment instead.

"Hey, Tai," Matt said sluggishly as he placed his hands in his pockets and stared at his long time friend. "I'm lucky to have found you here."

"You better get out of here, Matt," Tai quickly said, his vision beginning to blur. "It's not safe around me anymore."

"No Tai, I'm not leaving and you are not sure as hell going to leave neither. I'm going to stay right here until we straighten this whole problem out already," he said not moving from his spot as he eyed Tai. "This time... we got to talk. You and me. I'm tired of waiting."

"Matt, I don't have time to talk-"

"Bullshit!" Matt quickly cut him off, anger getting the best of him. "There's always time to talk! You've had plenty of time and you owe us some answers right now!"

Tai tried his absolute best to stay calm. If he allowed these powerful emotions to take control over him, it would sure be the end for Matt. But Tai felt that keeping them under control was nearly impossible. His mind seemed to be slowly changing as anger and hate flowed viciously throughout his body. The boy struggled within himself as he tried to keep whatever that was boiling inside of him under control.

"Tai," Matt said in a more calm voice this time. "You know we've been friends a long time, and you know that all I want to do is help you. Why won't you talk to us and tell us your problems?"

Tai brought his head down as he replied in a lower voice. "It's not that easy."

"What do you mean it's not that easy?" Anger rose again within the blond-haired boy. "Tai, you can't keep doing this, avoiding us and skipping school every day! This is really getting out of hand and you know it! Just look at what you almost did to Sora last night!"

"Matt-" Tai started.

"Did you honestly think that you didn't hurt her feelings?" he continued as he stepped closer to Tai. "She was scared to death because of you... and practically heartbroken!"

"Matt listen..." Tai tried to calm him, however Matt didn't listen. Instead, he continued to yell in rage.

"You almost killed her, Tai! And now I heard from her that you plan to kill me too! What's going on here? What's happened to you?"

"MATT, SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME DAMN IT!"

The blond became silent.

After a few minutes, Tai spoke again, this time in a more pained and sad tone. "You don't understand what's happening to me, Matt. It's not that I don't care. What happened to Sora last night..." He sighed. "...I didn't mean to hurt her at all... I'm not like that... You always knew that I loved her, so why would you think I would hurt her on purpose?"

"So, you mean that it was by accident then?" Matt asked a little confused.

"I don't really know... It's just that... I can't keep myself under control anymore..." He broke out in tears. "Something's controlling me... and it wants to hurt the people I care about..."

Matt watched with sad eyes as his friend fell onto his knees, softly crying in front of him. The blond slowly kneeled down to his level and looked at Tai face to face.

"Who is trying to control you, Tai?" Matt asked wanting to know more so that he could help his friend. "Is it... something inside of you?"

"... I think it's taking over my entire being... and I'm afraid of what it might do next... of what I might do next..." He continued to cry as his wet tears landed on the cool sand. "I can't control myself anymore and I don't want to hurt anyone... I don't want to hurt my friends. I don't want to hurt Sora... and I don't want to hurt you either, Matt."

"You're not going to hurt anybody. We're going to help you through this," Matt said.

"No, Matt. You can't help me... none of you can." Tai looked at him. "I can only fix this... If I was no longer here... if I can just find a way to erase my own existence then you guys would be safe."

Matt gave a look of disbelief. "You can't be serious, Tai. You're not thinking of killing yourself are you?"

* * *

Sora rushed across the soccer field and halted before catching her breath, as the rest of the digidestined gang followed not too far behind. The field was empty and Tai and Matt were nowhere to be seen.

"Where could he be?" Sora asked looking around her surroundings.

"He's your ex-boyfriend. You should know where he is..." Mimi said breathlessly as she caught up with her. "They're probably not too far... "

Sora looked up at the sky as it darkened with enormous gray clouds. "It's getting dark already and I have a feeling that Matt found him," Sora said shaking her head nervously. "What if something bad happens to both of them?"

"But Sora, even if Matt did go after Tai, I'm sure that they're alright. After all, those two are old enough to handle things on their own as young adults." Mimi reassured her.

Joe stood next to them. "I think Mimi's right, Sora. I mean... Tai and Matt are very good friends and I doubt they would actually fight each other."

"Yeah, but remember Sora said that Tai doesn't act much like himself. I still think he could be dangerous..." Cody interrupted. "Perhaps, he will be the one to start the fight."

Izzy walked over to them with his thumb under his chin, obviously thinking. "Hmm, I'm sure they're still in the city... but where? I doubt we'll be able to search everywhere, especially if it's getting late."

"Maybe Matt's not looking for Tai, guys..." Davis said placing his hands over his head. "... I think the guy just wants to get a little air to take away his frustration or something. Did you see how angry he looked earlier? He probably went to the beach to cool off. That's where I would go."

"Oh brother," Kari said letting out a sigh.

"That's it!" Sora exclaimed.

Izzy looked over at her in question. "What's it?"

"Maybe they're at the beach! We haven't checked that area yet... It's possible they could be there! Let's go everyone!" Sora took off to the beach as well as the rest of them.

* * *

"How could you think about committing suicide?" Matt shouted as he stood up from his spot and stared down at him. "Are you crazy? What about everyone else? What about your family? Have you ever thought of that?"

"It's the only way..." Tai whispered.

"No it's not, Tai... There are other ways. We could help you and we'll fight whatever it is that's controlling you."

All of a sudden, Tai felt himself go fuzzy and soon after, his vision began to worsen as well as the slight pounding forming in his head. In his mind, he saw flashes of images as quick as lightning running through him. They were images of his friends, and one by one, their 'deaths' were repeating over and over again.

Tai couldn't take any more of this. He immediately shook his head, trying to shake off all these horrible visions, but it didn't work. They were stuck in him, driving him insane. The boy tightly shut his eyes and clutched his teeth together as he felt powerful raw emotions swarming inside. He cried in pain as he then saw complete darkness around him.

Matt stood there, unsure of what to do. He gave off a worried expression as he looked down at Tai, who had been crying out in pain.

"Tai, what's wrong?" he asked, suddenly feeling a little afraid for his friend. "You got to tell me, now."

The brown-haired boy looked up at him with an emotionless expression, nothing but a void in his brown eyes. He slowly stood up, matching Matt's height. He examined the area around him and stared at his dark surroundings. All Tai could see right now was total darkness. Matt seemed to be the only light to him.

_'No, I don't wanna do this... I can't kill him!' _he yelled to himself. _'This can't be happening! Why do I feel so much hatred against Matt?'_

The brunet tried to fight against himself, but he felt he was losing the battle. This other side of him was stronger and much more powerful. It seemed to be in more control of him than he is. Even his own mind didn't seem to agree with him that Matt was his friend. Instead it pointed him out as an enemy.

"Tai, you have to talk to me. You're kinda scaring me a bit, man..." Matt said when he heard nothing from him for a nearly a minute.

Tai soon found himself standing directly in front of Matt. After a few moments of no movement between the two, Tai slowly lifted his arm up and swiftly punched Matt on the side of his face, causing him to tumble on to the sandy ground.

"What the hell?" Matt shouted as he stared up at Tai. "What do you think you're doing, Tai?"

"I'm just finishing some unfinished business..." Tai walked over to him before giving him a hard kick in the stomach.

Matt groaned feeling immense pain within his stomach. He looked at Tai before speaking to him in a strained voice. "Why are you doing this?"

Tai bent down toward him and grabbed the collar of his shirt. "You're just meant to die, Matt. Deal with it... "

Matt looked into Tai's eyes, but was surprised when they weren't brown at all. They looked almost complete black and gave off a cold and empty appearance. "You can't be Tai."

"And why wouldn't I be?" Tai reached into his pocket and pulled out a small knife, holding it out in front of Matt. "Any last words, buddy? " he snickered.

"Yeah, I do." Matt smirked before quickly punching him back on the face, knocking the brunet down as well. The knife flew across a good distance away. "That's for hitting me, buddy," he said as he immediately stood up.

Tai glared up at him with great anger as he too got back up on his feet. He growled as he roughly tackled Matt to the ground, giving him a few punches here and there. Matt tried his best to block every one of them, but found that Tai was too quick.

Not too far from where the two boys were fighting, Sora and the rest of the digidestined finally made their way onto the shore. All of them gasped as they saw violence breaking out between the two friends.

Sora, scared for the safety of them both, rushed over to stop them from hurting each other even further. When she reached them, she held her breath in fear as she saw the aggressive look in Tai's eyes. It was just like the night before.

"Tai, stop it!" she screamed at him. "Matt's your friend!"

The two guys threw punches after punches and rolled along the sand, until Tai got in reach of the knife and brought it down toward Matt's throat...

"Tai...No!" Sora cried.

* * *

_A/n: Is this the end of our dear Matt? What's next I wonder?_


	12. Death Calls

_A/n: I'm back with another chapter to the story. It's Halloween, yay! _

_Read, enjoy and please review._

* * *

**Chapter 12: Death Calls**

The two so called 'friends' roughly rolled against the sandy ground on the darkened beach, violently attacking one another, until Tai reached the sharp weapon close by and aimed it dangerously at Matt.

Sora watched in absolute horror as Tai viciously brought the small knife down forth at the flesh of the blond's neck. Before she could even witness the blade hit bare skin, she immediately closed her eyes, not wanting to see what would happen. The painful sight would be grievously unbearable for her.

After a few short silent moments, Sora hesitantly opened her eyes to find that, fortunately, it was not the end of Matt. Luckily the blond managed to grab hold of his attacker's hand, while continuously struggling to push the knife away. Sora, thankful that no one was yet killed, gathered up her courage and ran closer to the two boys to try to end this horrific violence.

As she neared Tai, she immediately grasped the knife held in his hand and tried to yank it away as hard as she could, but to no use.

"Tai! What are you doing?" Sora yelled at him as she pulled against his own strength. It seemed that Tai had gotten unusually stronger somehow. "You have to stop this! You'll kill him!"

Tai dangerously growled at her. "That's exactly what I'm trying to do! And you're just making it difficult for me!" With an extremely hard push, he knocked her down making her land onto her back.

Sora couldn't believe this was actually Tai, her childhood friend, who was doing this. It just wasn't like him, and not to mention there was no way he would want to hurt any of them. But in this case, he seemed to gain pleasure from harming others. Was this the kind of person he wanted to be?

As soon as she recovered from the fall, she quickly scrambled to her feet and hopped onto his back, pounding her fists continuously on Tai with every bit of strength she had.

Seeing that Tai was beginning to lose his focus and grip on the knife, Matt took his chance to knock the weapon out from his hand and off to the side. Tai, angered by this, rapidly turned around to face Sora, who had disturbed his near victory. He raised his hand to her and swiftly swung it across her face, making her fall hard on the ground.

"You better stay out of this!" he said as he stood in front of her. "I don't think it's your time yet, unless you want it to be!"

"Leave her alone, Tai!" Matt yelled as he tackled him to the ground and restrained.

Izzy and the rest of them were not too far from where they were fighting.

Tai chuckled as he dangerously began to choke Matt. "You can't escape, Matt... And I'm afraid it's over for you..."

As soon as Tai said this, Matt suddenly felt dizzy as if his own energy was sucked out of him. He looked over to Tai who was lying beneath him with an evil grin written upon his face. The brunet seemed to be carrying some dark power inside that was absorbing energy out from him as Matt began to feel weaker and weaker.

"How are you feeling, Matt?" He grinned even more. "It feels as if all the happiness and joy in the world has been taken from you doesn't it? It makes you feel empty and pained inside. Too bad I'm going to have to take away your life too at the- "

Before Tai could even finish, he was yanked away by numerous hands. Joe, Davis and Izzy held him back while Kari and Mimi helped Sora up to her feet. The rest of the digidestined crowded around Matt and gasped to see him lifelessly lay there with no motion at all.

"Tai, what did you do to him?" Joe asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable and frightened at this situation.

Cody too became frightened at the sight. "... You don't think he's... dead... do you?"

"He can't be..." Tk said as he tried to hide the tears forming in his eyes. "I don't believe this could happen..." He stood to where Matt was laying and watched for any sign of movement.

Everyone was silent before Sora walked over to Matt's side and kneeled beside him. She slowly lowered her head to his chest as she desperately listened for a heartbeat. As soon as she heard it, relief showed upon her face.

"He's alive," she said as her and everyone else's face brightened. However, a frown came to her lips as she stared up at Tai who had been squirming against his restrainers the whole time, not seeming to care at all.

"How could you do this Tai?" Sora asked as she looked at him straight in the eye. He stared back at her. "I can't believe you would have the courage to even hurt your own friends!"

The digidestined looked at him to hear his response. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke.

"It's my destiny..." he simply said.

Kari didn't like the way her brother was talking. How could he even be her brother? He's completely changed for sure. "Tai, you're not making any sense and just now you nearly killed Matt! Doesn't that bother you at all?"

"Why would it bother me?" He asked as he continued in a lower voice. "I feel no guilt. I'm actually mad that I didn't kill him... yet."

"This is ridiculous, Tai! This isn't like you!" Izzy yelled at him. "I suggest you tell us exactly what's going on with you. We're not gonna allow you to hurt someone else."

"Someone else?" Tai pondered a bit. "Well, Izzy, now that you mentioned it... you're actually next on my list."

Before Izzy knew it, he was punched in the face, making him fall hard onto the sand. Davis and Joe rushed over to Tai and held him back in order to prevent him from creating any more damage, while Mimi helped Izzy up. Tai laughed as he watched Izzy wiped the blood off his mouth.

"Tai, this isn't funny! How could you do that?" Mimi screamed at him.

Tai stopped his laughing as he stared at Sora who was standing in front of him with sad eyes. "What? You want to be next?" he yelled. It was very clear that anger and hatred was evident in his voice.

"How can you say that it's your destiny to hurt us?" Sora asked, tears now falling from her crimson eyes. "Tai, I love you... and I know that the Tai I love wouldn't say that that was his destiny." She sniffled as more tears fell as well as her voice growing weak with a great amount of sadness. "...I wish... I wish I can save you from what is hurting you... but it seems to me that you just don't love me or even care... "

As Tai listened to this, something triggered from deep inside of him; his heart was aching because of the misery and sadness he knew he caused her. Her tears and her emotional tone brought him back to reality. He looked at her face and frowned as he noticed the slight bruise forming on her cheek. Somewhere in his memory showed to him that he had clearly hit her, but his mind didn't want to believe that fact.

"Sora, I'm sorry..." he finally said backing away a bit as Joe and Davis released their hold on him. Sora looked at him, confused at this different behavior of his than the one earlier. "I didn't mean to hurt you... any of you... I just couldn't control myself... "

The rest of them looked puzzled too, except for Mimi who had been giving him a glare the whole time. "Tai, you're not going anywhere. You have to start talking and tell us the story already."

Tai was silent for a while before speaking. "Okay, I promise to tell you what's happening... but you have to wait until tomorrow." He sighed. "I'll meet you guys before school... "

"How do we know you'll even be there?" Joe asked. "From what I've heard, you haven't even been showing up to school."

"Look, I'll be there..." Tai quickly said as he looked at them seriously. "Right now, I have to be somewhere... I have to think about a few things..." He looked over to where Matt was lying. "... And if Matt wakes up, tell him that I'm sorry, okay."

After he finished, Tai began to walk away from the group.

"Tai, wait..." Sora called out softly.

He slowly turned around to look at her with guilty eyes. "Sora, I'm really sorry but there's something I have to finish that I've been putting off for too long. I have to end this already. Please forgive me," he said before he ran off in the other direction.

"Should we just let him run off?" Cody asked unsure if this was a good idea.

"Give him some time. I'm sure he won't try anything else tonight," Joe responded before he added. "Hopefully he doesn't... "

"What about Matt?" Mimi asked. "I still don't think we should forgive Tai for this. He was probably fooling us back there."

Once she said that, a groan came from the blond-haired boy. The group looked over to Matt to see him rubbing his head as Tk helped him up as well. He seemed to be in a good condition except for all the small cuts and bruises he had.

"Matt, are you okay?" Tk asked with a worried look.

"My head fucking hurts... I can't seem to think right now..." Matt responded as he held his head in his hands.

"Come on, we should all get some rest, especially Matt. Tomorrow morning, we'll meet Tai at school." Izzy said as they all started heading home.

"I doubt he'll even be there..." Mimi said as she walked toward her place.

Sora walked beside Kari. "Is it alright if I stop by at your apartment, Kari?"

"Sure, I could use some company," Kari responded. "I just hope Tai's okay... and that he doesn't do anything else stupid."

* * *

The two girls made it to the front door of the apartment. As they opened the door, they noticed that it wasn't locked. Finding this suspicious, they walked inside into the dark apartment.

Kari quickly turned on the light and looked to Sora. "Do you think Tai's here?"

"He might be in his room. Let's go check," Sora said as she and Kari walked over to Tai's room only to find it empty.

"I guess he's not here," Kari said sadly. "Where could he have gone?"

Sora looked around the room and noticed several pieces of paper lying on the brown desktop. She walked over and picked up the stack of papers which seemed to be letters, letters that were addressed to each of the digidestined, including her.

"What's this?" Sora asked as she read over one of the letters that was addressed to her.

_Dear Sora,_

_I know how hard it is for you to witness this horrible change that is happening to me. I don't want you to feel that you're responsible for it because you're not. I'm sorry for the pain that I've caused you. I never mean to say things that could hurt you. This change that I'm going through is very dangerous, which is why I had been avoiding you and the others for some time now. _

_There is also something I've wanted to tell you for a very long time now, but never really had the courage to say it to you face to face. I love you Sora and I always have, even though right now I don't seem_ _to show it, but deep inside I have all the love in the world buried for you..._

_I tried everything to stop this craziness I'm going through, but nothing works. The only way I can stop it is by ending my life, so by the time you read this... it's only a matter of time..._

_Tai_

After reading the last few lines, Sora gasped as she dropped the letter on the floor. She shook her head in disbelief. Could it be too late? What if he decided to kill himself tonight?

Kari walked over to Sora who had completely gone silent. "What's wrong, Sora?" The young girl looked at the handwritten letters that were spread on the desk. "What are these? Did Tai write these letters?" she asked as she examined several of them.

"Kari, I have to go. I have to find your brother now," Sora said as she ran out of the room and out of the apartment in search of Tai.

_'I hope it's not too late...' _She thought as her legs carried her as fast as they could. _'Please Tai, don't do it...'_

* * *

_A/n: Yeah, tonight's Halloween, one of my favorite times of the year. Thanks again for reading and for your reviews._


	13. Confessions

**Chapter 13: Confessions**

_'Please Tai, don't do I,' _she pleaded within her own thoughts. _'Please be okay.' _

Sora had been running all over the place in search of him, and yet there was no sign of Tai. Perhaps he had gotten far where no one would be sure to look, where no one could even witness. She felt an aching pain in her heart just thinking about what he was planning to do and the thought of losing her best friend. Why would he go through with this?

She was alone at the moment, scared and confused. It was awfully dark with only the moonlight shining down on the empty park. Everything was silent except the sound of her rapidly beating heart which seemed to ring loudly in her ears. The girl was afraid and unsure of what to do next. It felt as if all hope was lost. There was no way she could find him and stop him in time. There was no way.

Sora sat herself on one of the empty swings and silently cried, knowing that Tai could be... possibly dead. She didn't want to think that, however she knew that it could have been too late. Tai was nowhere to be found. He probably ran off to a secluded place, somewhere a great distance away from here. How will she find him?

The auburn-haired girl continued to cry in silence, blaming herself for giving up and for letting him go this far. Wet tears, filled with sorrow, ran down her face as pain shot her in the heart. Just then, she heard what sounded like mumbling. Immediately she looked around her, finding that she was not alone.

Not too far from where she was sitting, there stood a guy a few feet away next to a large tree. His back faced her as his mumbling soon filled with sobs. The boy stood there, unaware that there was someone else present. His large brown hair and the familiar coat caught Sora's eye. As Sora got a better look at him, she noticed that the young man was... Tai.

She silently gasped, happy that she had found him okay. The girl quickly wiped her tears as she stood up from the swing and headed towards him. Once she was about two feet away from him, she stopped frozen in place. In his hand was a deathly cold weapon that made her heart beat twice as fast. Tai slowly brought the gun up to his forehead, his finger already set on the trigger.

Sora immediately shook herself out of it and screamed at him. "No, Tai don't!"

The boy stopped in surprise and turned to face her, a look of guilt shown on his face. "Sora... you weren't supposed to be here."

"I'm not supposed to be here? Tai! I just read that damn letter and you think I wouldn't be out here looking for you! How could you do this? Why?" she yelled at him. "I can't believe you tried to... kill yourself!"

He sighed and placed the gun on the grass, knowing that he couldn't kill himself in front of her. "Look, Sora. I can explain."

"No, Tai! I don't wanna hear your stupid explanation!" Sora cried. "You should already know that there's never a good explanation for committing suicide!"

"I know but I had to do it to save all of you," Tai said as he lowered his head, "... from myself."

Sora didn't say anything after that. She quickly ran to him and threw her arms around him, burying her face within his chest. Tai, surprised at first, slowly wrapped his strong arms around her as he brought his head down to rest on her shoulder. His eyes remained closed as he felt a nice warm feeling inside. The soothing gesture seemed to calm him and it was a moment that he felt amazingly content. He breathed in and smelled the sweet fragrance within her auburn hair, making him feel slightly dizzy in a good way.

After a while, Tai soon found that Sora was crying. He tried his best to calm her down and to tell her that everything was okay, but it seemed to make her break down even more. Soon, he felt his own eyes water too.

"Please, Sora, don't cry. I don't like seeing you cry like this. I'm sure everything will be okay," Tai softly told her as he ran his hand through her smooth hair in order to comfort her. Right now he felt the need to be there for her; he's been gone for so long.

Sora brought her tired eyes up to look at him. "Everything's not going to be okay, Tai. You don't know how many people you would hurt if you had killed yourself tonight." Her tears seemed to fall harder. "What if you were gone? Nothing would be the same anymore. I just couldn't live my life without you."

"Sure, you can. You guys wouldn't need me, especially if I'm a threat to you."

"No Tai, you're wrong," she replied, keeping eye contact with him. "We do need you. I need you... so much. You're my best friend and I've always loved you. I would never want to lose you... for whatever reason."

Tai averted his eyes elsewhere but her. He couldn't look at her otherwise it would make him rethink his actions. He didn't realize he had caused this much pain to everyone. The brunet felt horrible for what he had done.

"Sora, you have to realize that I have to go through with this. I have to end my life." He softly placed both his palms against the side of her cheeks and gently wiped the tears off her face with his thumbs. "I'm willing to die for you, for all of you."

She shook her head disbelievingly at him and spoke in a hurt voice. "Don't do this, Tai. You can fight it."

"No, I can't. I've... I've hurt you, Sora... Last night, I couldn't control myself... I almost... killed you. What if it were to happen again? I could never forgive myself." He began to let the tears flow down his face as he shut his eyes completely. "I didn't want to hurt you and yet I wasn't strong enough to even stop myself sooner... Even Matt, I almost killed him today, and to actually think I could avoid him the whole day... "

"Tai... Tai, look at me," Sora said as Tai shifted his gaze toward her. "Don't blame yourself because none of this is your fault. I forgive you. I know that something terrible is happening to you and there is no way you can handle it alone, which is why you have to tell me everything."

He looked into her crimson eyes and nodded. "If you really want to know, then I'll tell you...However, it might not even make sense."

"I'll still be happy to listen," she told him.

He took a deep breath before he continued. "It started happening a few months ago when I suddenly felt depressed almost every day. The thing is... I didn't know why I felt like that. The feeling came out of nowhere. It felt like the world didn't matter anymore. As time went by, I began to feel angry... angry at everything and everyone. I wanted to make others feel miserable as how I felt, so I got into fights and…"

"Why didn't you tell us this sooner?" Sora asked.

"Because I was scared to be around any of you guys," Tai replied.

Sora gave him a puzzled stare. "What do you mean?"

"I've been having these nightmares for some time and there not just some ordinary nightmares you get at night. These dreams… they felt real and it was as if they showed parts of the future, a deathly future." He stared at the grass below him. "I killed people, Sora. I killed my friends who I care about... in those dreams."

As she listened to him, Sora tried putting things together. "Is that why you were freaking out the other night? Were you having one of those nightmares?"

He nodded. "It was about you."

Sora didn't know what to say. She was scared of what Tai was going through, but she had to help him. He would do the same for her. But what exactly is doing this to him? "Do you know who... or what is behind this?"

The brunet shook his head. "No, but I've seen this shadow and I'm thinking it might have something to do with everything that has been happening. Lately, I've been hearing voices inside my head and the voices... they're not human at all. And they also sound familiar even though I haven't heard them before. I feel as if my mind is being manipulated somehow."

The two stared at each other a few moments before Sora gave him a smile. "I'm really glad you told me Tai."

Tai didn't feel up to smiling at a time like this. He frowned as he brought his eyes toward the ground. "Aren't you afraid of me?"

"I'm only afraid of what's happening to you. I would never be afraid of you. And I'm sure things will get better soon." She gently grabbed his hands, making him look at her. "Tai?"

"Yeah?" he answered her as he too began to feel himself smile.

"There's something I need to know." Sora took a deep breath. "Do you love me? Because it's alright if you would rather keep this friendship between us. I'm fine with that."

Tai looked at her surprisingly. "No, I do love you Sora... for a very long time now. And I want to love you more than just a best friend. It's just that I'm afraid... "

"Afraid of what?" she asked him. "If you're afraid that I might break your heart or if you might-"

Tai immediately cut her off. "No, that's not it. I'm afraid that... one, I might risk hurting you and two... I won't be good enough for you."

Sora smiled at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "One, I'd take that risk and two, you'll always be good enough for me, Tai."

This brought Tai a sense of happiness as he too encircled his arms around her small waist. He smiled while gazing longingly into her sparkling eyes. Time seemed to stop as he slowly leaned in until their lips finally met. The kiss was long and as passionate as they had hoped for. Tai deepened the kiss as he gently pushed her against the trunk of the nearby tree. His lips left hers and moved closer to her right ear.

"I love you, Sora," he whispered to her.

She opened her eyes and smiled. "I love you too."

He moved his head so that he could look at her. "This is weird. I haven't been feeling any negative feelings lately. Actually, I've been feeling more like myself. I feel like I'm so happy all of a sudden. What's going on?"

"Maybe, this is the right kind of cure," she said.

"It could be, but I don't think that it would be over this fast. Something's not right," Tai said but then sighed. "C'mon, I'm sure Kari's worried. We should head back before she calls a rescue team."

She laughed. "Alright."

"Hey, um... do you think you could stay over at our place tonight. Just to make sure I don't do something bad." He asked her as he softly held her hands in his own.

"Of course," she quickly said, happy that there was a sure sign that the old Tai was back.

Tai gave her another kiss before he reached down to grab the small weapon. As soon as he picked it up, Sora became a little uncomfortable. The sight of the gun in his hand brought her cold shivers.

"Um, Tai. Do you think you could unload that before you carry it around with you?" Sora asked him seriously.

He gave her a slightly nervous look. "Sure," he said as he did what he was asked. "Hey, do you know if Matt's okay? I'm kinda worried about him. After what I did to him, he is probably furious with me."

"Well, his head is the only thing bothering him right now. I'm sure he'll be okay and we could discuss your problem with the other digidestined tomorrow."

* * *

Meanwhile, Tk was at the Ishida's apartment completely worried for Matt's being.

"Is your head hurting that much, Matt?" Tk asked as he watched his brother groan in pain.

"Yeah, it feels like it's pounding right now." He then looked at Tk and grinned. "Don't worry about me bro. I'll be fine. It's just a headache and don't be angry at Tai. I don't think he really meant any of it. He's just going through something that is difficult for him."

"Well, I know that he didn't mean it but I still think Tai's been acting a bit crazy lately," Tk said turning his attention toward the clock. "It's getting kinda late. Try to get some rest, okay Matt. I'll be in the other room so call me if you need anything."

The room became dark as soon as Tk closed the door. Matt stared up at the ceiling above him, his head suddenly becoming worse. He tried closing his eyes to get some sleep but for some reason he felt cold. It felt as if death was present. After a few passing moments, Matt felt that he couldn't move or even scream.

_'What... what's happening to me?'_

* * *

_A/n: Another chapter finished. Let's all wonder if Tai is cured or not. And what about Matt? _


	14. Unavoidable Pain

**Chapter 14: Unavoidable Pain**

It was morning as Tai tried to adjust his sight to the bright rays of the sun. It seemed to be sort of early and school wouldn't start until two hours from now. He blinked a couple of times and smiled as he watched the beauty sleeping beside him. She was definitely a beautiful sight to see, especially at times like this. He gently ran his hand through her silky hair, liking the way it felt in between his fingers. He then brought his head forth, giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek as she gave out a small sigh, while closely snuggling against him.

Even though Tai felt like the happiest guy on earth, he knew there was something wrong. For some strange reason, he feels normal again, but how is that possible? He couldn't really figure out why he was back to his old self. Was that 'thing' supposed to wear off or something?

_'Maybe Sora really is the cure,' h_e thought. _'Or is that what it wants me to think?'_

Right then, he heard her sweet, soft voice within his ears. "Morning, Tai."

He turned his attention toward her and replied back. "Morning, Sora. I didn't realize you were awake."

"Yeah, well I guess it got a little too bright in here. But that's okay because there hasn't been much sunlight lately. Looks like today's going to be a beautiful day," she said as she smiled at him.

The brunet didn't say anything. Instead he just looked at her, loving how her crimson eyes sparkled. Perhaps they were sparkling with love, love for him. Looking in those eyes, he smiled as they showed him and only him at this very moment.

Sora blushed as he continued to stare at her in silence. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just that... you're so beautiful," he said without taking his eyes off her. She blushed even more at his comment. "I love you, Sora and I'm really glad you saved me last night."

"I'm glad too," she replied. "And you should know that I'll always be here for you no matter what."

"Same here." He paused for a while before continuing. "Um... So, did you sleep well last night? Cause I know you probably felt a little uncomfortable sleeping here with me... you know... on my bed since I'm a guy and everything." He laughed nervously.

She smiled at his politeness. "Well, it was a lot more comfortable than sleeping on the couch. And plus I had to make sure I was here in case something were to happen to you. Besides, I know I can trust you Tai. And I'm glad you're back to yourself again."

"Me too, Sora." His smile then faded. "But how do you think this is possible? I mean, I don't think it would just disappear... whatever it was. I think there's more to this than we think."

"I guess so," she replied.

Tai began to think. "Hmm..."

As he continued with his own thoughts, Sora felt an unusual draft in the room. She quickly sat up on his bed and shivered as she pulled the blanket closer to her, feeling a sudden cold air out of nowhere. "Brrrr... Did it just get cold all of a sudden?"

Tai looked at her strangely. "I don't feel cold. Is everything alright?"

She slowly nodded her head. "Yeah, I guess so. It must be in my head or something. I wonder what the time is."

Tai then looked toward his alarm clock. "Hmm, maybe we should get ready for school. Do you want to head to your apartment to get your school clothes?"

"No, actually I have them right here. I brought some of my clothes the other night already."

"Alright then, how about we go get dressed and then head to the kitchen for some breakfast." As soon as Tai stepped out of bed, he fell onto the carpet, feeling slightly dizzy.

Sora quickly got up and helped him to his feet. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a little clumsy that's all. I guess I haven't been eating much lately," he said as he stood up and faced her.

"Well, get dressed and then we'll go get ourselves a good breakfast meal," she said.

He smiled. "Sounds good to me."

* * *

"C'mon, Matt. Wake up already," Tk said as he gently shook his brother. "I made you breakfast and you know we have to meet the other digidestined at school today."

Matt slowly opened his eyes. "What?"

"Oh great! You're awake! So, does your head still hurt or what?" Tk asked.

Matt shook his head. "Not as much anymore. I think I'm feeling a little better." He then yawned. "Although, I am feeling a little sleepy right now." His eyes were now closed.

"Hey, keep the eyes open! Remember we have a meeting with the others and Tai promised he'd be there. And not to mention your breakfast is getting cold," Tk said annoyingly as his brother roughly pulled the blankets over his head, obviously not wanting to be disturbed.

"Alright, I'll go. Just give me a few minutes to fully wake up," Matt replied under the sheets.

"Okay then, but don't stay in bed too long or you'll fall back asleep. I'll meet you in the kitchen." Tk said as he walked out of the room.

As soon as his door closed, Matt pulled the sheets off him and sat up in a sitting position, questions written all over his face. He began to rub his head, unsure of whether last night was a dream or not. Was he imagining the feeling?

He sure felt different. It was like something powerful was surging through his body and it all happened from last night. He couldn't remember much from last night, it was all just a blur to him. In fact, the only thing he actually remembers is getting a huge headache after a fight with Tai...

Matt stood up, only to quickly fall back down on the bed. Suddenly he felt as if the room was spinning... and spinning. He looked around seeing only colors of black and gray, blinking constantly as distorted figures ran in his mind. He immediately shut his eyes, while trying desperately to shake off the feeling. As soon as he opened them, everything seemed to be back to normal.

For a minute there, Matt thought it was the end of him. Never did his heart beat that fast before, and it was something he could not control. It was obviously a frightening experience. It was a fairly strange feeling, a feeling a little too familiar. It was when he was in that fight with Tai, where he felt like that. It was the moment that Tai tried to choke him. Matt knew that whatever darkness Tai was carrying, it found its way to him...

"Matt, hurry up already!" Tk yelled, his voice coming from the kitchen. "I hope you're not sleeping still or I'll have to push you off that bed!"

Matt shook out of his deep thoughts. This was all too much for him. He needed to talk with the other digidestined about this, including Tai. He just hoped Tai hadn't caused any more trouble.

He quickly got dressed and walked over to the door of his room, but froze right in front of it. He stood still, listening to the faint eerie breathing in his ears. There was a strange presence in the room and Matt knew it was behind him, but somehow he was afraid to turn and look. Whatever that was there, seemed to be giving him a very unpleasant feeling, much of a deathly kind.

Soon, the blond felt a touch on the shoulder, making him turn around in a quick second. However, all he could catch sight of was a small black shadow across the corner of his eye.

"Oh great, now I'm seeing things," Matt said aloud.

He finally left his room and headed toward the kitchen to find Tk, who was already eating his breakfast. His little brother then pointed to the full plate across from him on the table, hinting that that was Matt's cold breakfast.

"What took you so long, Matt?" Tk asked with a spoonful in his mouth.

"Oh, I guess it took me a long time to actually wake up." The blond sat down at the table and slowly ate the food in front of him. As soon as he swallowed the first bite, he looked at Tk. "I hope I don't die from food poisoning..."

"Shut up, Matt."

* * *

"Wow, Tai. It seems you really are back to your old self again," Kari said happily as she watched her brother eat like crazy. "I wonder how?"

Sora laughed at his usual state of hunger. "The good thing is that the old Tai's back."

"That is a good thing." Kari's smile seemed to disappear. "So, when you found him at the park, what was he doing?"

Tai stopped eating for a moment and stared at Sora. She stared back at him, understanding now that he didn't want Kari to know about the suicide plan. She probably wouldn't have wanted to hear the truth. Sora then turned to Kari.

"Well, I kind of found him meditating in the playground," Sora said.

Tai quickly came in. "Yeah, I just needed some fresh air, so the park seemed quiet. I had to do some thinking over there."

"Don't lie to me Tai!" Kari said.

Tai was surprised at her sudden outburst.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Don't forget, I read the letters too and I already found out what you were planning." The young girl quickly looked away. "That was the craziest idea you've ever had."

"I'm sorry, Kari. I didn't mean to make you worry," Tai said. "And I'm sorry for all the other pain I put you through. I must be the worst brother in the entire world."

"No, not the worst brother." Kari then looked at him and smiled. "I was so happy to see you home last night, and not to mention seeing a smile on your face. It finally brought me some relief."

Tai smiled at her. "How about we go greet our other digidestined friends, huh? Besides, I still gotta apologize to Matt."

"Alright, let's go," Kari said.

All three of them stood up from the table and walked toward the front door after grabbing their bags. Sora and Kari stood in the doorway waiting for Tai. What Sora saw next worried her.

"Tai, what's wrong?" Sora asked, watching how Tai would wobble his way to the door. It was almost like he was too weak to walk.

Kari soon was concerned about this too. "Tai?"

After a few seconds, the brunet fell onto the floor.

* * *

_A/n: There it is. Sorry for leaving it like that. It must drive you nuts, huh. Well, stay tuned for the next update! Thanks for reading!_

_Please Review, before I get too old._


	15. The Nightmare's Not Over Yet

_A/n: Yes, I'm back. Wait, wait, wait… Before you say anything, let me explain. I just want to let everyone know that I am terribly sorry for not updating this story in years. _

_I know how much you guys wanted to keep reading, but I had some major writer's block, which is why I had to take a break from this story. It was really supposed to be a short break, but I've also encountered some problems of my own and even went through a bit of a depression because of them. Then, I just completely forgot about the story. Heck, I didn't even watch any Digimon since I began writing this. And when I did remember about having a story on here, I no longer felt like writing it._

_Anyway, you have the right to be angry. I've made you wait and you've been hoping for the next chapter for quite some time. I'm not even sure if you guys are still interested in reading this. Actually, I'm not even sure if you guys are still here, but I'll update anyway._

_After nearly FOUR years, I give you chapter 15._

* * *

**Chapter 15: The Nightmare's Not Over Yet**

Sora watched helplessly as Tai collapsed onto the floor. "Tai!"

Kari rushed toward him and shook him gently by the shoulders, hoping that he would respond. He didn't. Instead, he remained motionless on the floor. "Tai! Tai! A-Are you okay? P-Please answer me." Fear and concern for her brother caused her hands as well as her voice to shake.

"Tai, can you hear me? Tai, what's wrong?" Sora hesitantly placed two fingers at his neck, afraid for the worst. Feeling what appeared to be a faint pulse, she sighed, relieved that he was still very much alive, but his shallow breathing worried her dearly.

Kari didn't understand what was going on. Her brother was lying on the floor unconscious, and she didn't even know what caused it. "Oh my gosh! We should really take him to the hospital. They'll know what to-"

"No." Sora quickly cut her off. "That's not going to help. This is different. The doctors won't know what to do."

"What do you mean different?" Kari grew more and more worried as she sat there, unable to do anything to help him. "Sora, we've got to do something!"

At that moment, they heard Tai take in a sharp breath. Was he responding now? The two girls waited for any sign of movement, but what they saw next brought absolute horror.

Tai's head began to jerk violently and his breathing became even more ragged and shallow. Bubbles formed in his mouth as the color on his face drained and was replaced with that of a ghostly white color. Soon his entire body began to shake as if he were having a seizure, one that was severe.

Kari began to panic. "Sora, what do we do? We have to help him! We have to help him now!"

Sora could see just how scared Kari was. After all, she was pretty scared to death herself. She just couldn't believe something like this would happen. Sure he was feeling a little dizzy earlier, but she thought that was probably due to hunger or maybe just exhaustion from all the hell he's been through. Wasn't he just fine a few minutes ago? No, he was more than fine. Things were just starting to get back to the way it was and now this happens, but Sora wasn't going to give up that easily. She wasn't going to lose him, not again. Not ever.

Grunting and using all her strength, she flipped Tai over so that he was now lying on his back. Facing Kari, she said, "Go get some cold water."

Kari didn't feel the need to ask why. She did exactly what she was told.

Sora stared down at Tai as he continued to struggle in pain. "Don't worry. You'll be alright. Just hang in there, okay?" She tried her best to stay calm but couldn't keep the warm tears from falling down her cheeks. Unable to stay calm any longer, she lightly slapped him over and over again. "Tai! You can't do this to me! I really need you to fight this. Please, just please come back."

Within a few seconds, Kari returned with a medium-sized container filled with cold water. Having an idea of what this was for, she handed it to Sora, who quickly took it and held it above his body.

'_I hope this works,'_ Sora thought as she poured the water all over him.

As soon as the cool water touched his face, his eyes flew open and he quickly sat up, annoyed at the new cold sensation that was now all over his body, however, it was of course a lot better than what he was feeling earlier. Somehow the water stopped his jerky movements and brought him back.

"Tai!" Sora cried.

He was immediately crushed by the weight of his best friend, who was extremely happy that he was alive and well. "Ow, Sora. I can't breathe."

"Oh, man! I can't believe that actually worked!" Sora said as she snuggled into his chest and hugged him even tighter.

Kari wrapped her arms around the both of them. "Tai, I'm so glad that you're okay!" she exclaimed. "I don't think I've ever been so scared before."

The two girls finally released their hold on him, as he inhaled deeply.

"I'm sorry," Tai said as he bowed his head. "I must've worried the both of you." He then felt a stinging pain in his right shoulder and turned to Sora who had just punched him.

"You think!" Sora glared at him.

"Ouch, Sora. Geez, that really hurts, you know," he said as he rubbed his shoulder.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure it does, Tai."

"Here, Tai," Kari said as she handed him a fresh towel.

"Thanks, Kari." He smiled at his younger sister as he dried his hair and most of his body.

"You should change too," Kari said, referring to his soaked clothes. "I don't think you'll be going to school in wet uniform."

"That can wait," Sora quickly said as she sat there with a serious expression. "Tai, just what happened earlier?"

He met her eyes and slowly shook his head. "I'm not sure. I felt kinda dizzy earlier and then everything sorta just went black."

"Have you ever experienced anything like that before?" Sora asked as she searched his face for answers.

"No," he answered her, "nothing like this. What I just went through a few moments ago was incredibly painful."

Kari looked down, a sad look appearing on her face. "You really did look like you were in a lot of pain, Tai."

He nodded. "Even though I was unconscious at the time, I could still feel everything. It was like I was being stabbed over and over again. I couldn't breathe. I was choking or more like something was choking me."

Sora placed her hand gently over his arm. "I guess we can assume that whatever this thing is… it's not over."

Tai placed his own hand on top of hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "We'll figure this out with the help of the others of course."

Kari cleared her throat, catching both their attention. "Maybe you should tell me what's going on, Tai."

Tai let out a tired sigh. "Yeah, it's time I start explaining everything I know to you and the others. There's no way I can keep hiding this. I'll need all the help I can get."

Kari smiled. "I'm really glad you said that. It's like my big brother is finally back home."

Tai gave Kari one his own smiles. "Anyway, I think we should get going. We already have an hour left until school starts," he said as he glanced at the microwave clock. "We still gotta meet with the others."

Sora and Kari nodded as they both helped Tai up to his feet. He stumbled toward his room for a dry set of clothes.

* * *

Matt and Tk were on their way to school, hoping that Tai would actually show up for once. Even if he didn't come, they still agreed to meet before school. The gang had to discuss some important matters, most of it involving Tai and that monstrous behavior of his.

Yesterday wasn't exactly pleasant. Matt was quite surprised that his friend would go as far as killing him, yet Matt didn't blame him. How could he blame him? His friend wasn't himself at the time. He knew Tai was going through something a bit unnatural and that he was being controlled somehow by some kind of strange force.

But something else kept bothering him last night. Matt remembered what Tai had planned to do.

'_Should I tell everyone that Tai's been thinking about suicide? How would Sora take it or Kari even? They'd probably be devastated the moment they found out.'_

Even Matt was devastated as soon as he figured it out yesterday. The brown-haired boy was absolutely sure that killing himself is the only way he could save them all. Matt thought that the idea was just ridiculous and plain stupid for that matter. Tai wouldn't be saving anybody by throwing his life away. No, he would only bring pain to everyone who cared about him. Matt didn't want to lose one of his best friends. He didn't want to lose any of his friends, but there was no way he could keep his mouth shut about this.

'_I have to tell them. Tai's life is on the line.'_

Matt's hand reached up to touch several parts of his face, which hurt like hell at the moment. He turned to his brother as he pointed to the cuts and bruises that were awfully visible. "How does my face look, Tk?"

"Uglier than usual," Tk joked.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh all you want, but someday you'll look like this too, and then it'll be my turn to laugh," Matt said as he roughed up his brother's hair.

Tk slapped his hand away. "Hey, c'mon! I just fixed my hair!"

Matt laughed. "Maybe you should just stick to wearing one of your lame hats," he suggested as he turned his attention to his right. He looked through the gate and saw a few kids hanging around in the front of the school, but a particular bunch caught his eye the most.

"My hats are not lame!"

Matt no longer paid attention to Tk. His vision began to blur a bit, but quickly disappeared a few seconds later. He groaned inwardly as he felt another painful headache similar to the ones from last night.

'_Not again.'_

* * *

_A/n: I've done it! Chapter 15! I hope that wasn't boring at all for you. It's slightly shorter than usual._

_Before I wrote this chapter, I had to re-read the entire story from chapter 1 all the way to 14 in order to refresh my memory. Yes, I completely forgot about the story. As I was reading it, I immediately felt drawn in once again and by the time I was at the end of chapter 14, I was like "Wait, I wanna know what's gonna happen!" Then I realized I was the one who wrote it. Now I know how you guys felt. :P_

_To be honest, I've been really addicted to a pairing other than Taiora and that is Phoenix/Maya, which is why I've been on the Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney section of for the last year. Somehow I always fall for the pairings that happen to be close friends. But I'm also in that section because I love the Ace Attorney series in general: The lovable goofy characters, the hilarious dialogue, and the amazing villains. But as soon as I started writing my first Phoenix Wright story, I also felt the need to finish this one. After all, I can't just abandon this story and all my readers. Taiora still happens to be one of my favorite pairings. :)_

_Okay, so I'll be editing a couple of the last chapters later on, since there were so many errors and everything. Also, I changed the rating from T to M in case you haven't already noticed. And because I'm writing another story and working on school, I can't promise quick updates like I used to. _

_Review if you like or if you hate, but I guess I deserve that. _


	16. The Bonds of Friendship

_A/n: Hi, everyone! I'm sorry if this was a little late. I've been really busy lately with school and of course just life in general._

_**Martiny **__- Ha ha... I didn't mean to give you (and your cousin) a heart attack. It must've been quite shocking for you._

_**Supergarurumon**__ - How did you know that I updated? O_o Ah, a senior... I remember my senior year (gosh I sound old), and yes, time sure does fly._

_**DarknessForgoten**__ - You're welcome :) It's great that you're still reading this, even though it has been a few years._

_**KoumiLoccness** - Haha, yeah I guess so. _Koushirou is one of my favorite characters from Digimon, so it's kinda difficult putting him in harms way.

_Anyway, I'm definitely no longer the crazy Taiora fan I once was, which is probably why it's difficult for me to write this, but it's still a couple I will always support. Oh, and thanks for the reviews, everyone. I really appreciate it!_

_Here's chapter 16! Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 16: The Bonds of Friendship**

Six DigiDestined sat underneath a large tree in front of Odaiba High School, all of them listening intently to a young red-headed man as he began to discuss Tai's behavior and yesterday's events. The rest of them sat in silence, their faces filled with sadness, confusion, and concern.

"These last few months have been difficult for all of us I'm sure. To have a friend, someone we knew we could always count on, turn into a person we hardly even recognize anymore… it's upsetting, and I feel that we, as his friends, have ultimately failed him. Perhaps we could've saved him from whatever he's become if we had done something earlier. Instead all we've done is ignore the fact that something was indeed wrong with him. Because of our ignorance, the situation has worsened. Yesterday… everyone here…" Izzy let out a tired sigh. He just couldn't find the words to describe what he had witnessed the day before. Instead, he stood and made his way toward the center of the circle and asked, "Um, you're all aware of what happened yesterday, right?"

Everyone remained quiet, everyone except for a young girl with a pair of large glasses.

"You mean when Tai tried to kill Matt? We all saw the horrible scene with our own eyes," Yolei answered, lowering her head so that her eyes met only the cool grass below. As she did this, she felt her glasses slide down, nearly falling off the tip of her nose. Bringing an index finger up to her face, she pushed them back so that they were back in place. She then looked up at Izzy, slowly shaking her head as she continued. "That's a sight I never wanted to see. I just can't believe it, really. I can't believe something like this could ever happen. T-This… all of this… it's gotta be a nightmare."

Izzy glanced down at Yolei with sad eyes. "I'm with you on that, Yolei. What happened yesterday was awful and isn't something any of us would've wanted to witness."

"Awful? Awful?" Mimi questioned, her voice growing louder by the second. "Izzy, is that the best you can come up with? What happened yesterday was completely terrifying! I certainly hope you didn't forget that Tai punched you! He punched you, Izzy, and what did you ever do to him?"

"Yes, but I'm sure he didn't mean to," Izzy said as he began to rub the right side of his jaw. He could still feel the stinging pain that Tai's fist had caused.

"Everyone here should know by now that Tai's gone totally insane!" Mimi screamed.

"It may seem that way, yes, but something about his behavior just seems a bit fishy to me." Izzy closed his eyes and folded his arms tightly across his chest, something he often did when he was deep in thought.

Mimi stood up from the grass and walked over to the young red head. She waved a hand back and forth in front of his face as if to wake him from whatever trance he was in. "Hello? Izzy? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Yeah, I'll admit I've sort of noticed it too," Joe responded, agreeing with Izzy.

"Huh?" Mimi looked down at Joe. "Noticed what? What's there to notice?"

Ignoring her question, Izzy decided there were more important matters that had to be discussed first. "Well, this is no time for theories and such. Our priority right now is to find a way to help Tai."

"Fine, ignore me!"

"Izzy's right, you guys!" Joe stood up as he held both fists into the air. "Right now, nothing's more important than to help Tai. He's had our backs plenty of times in the past. Now, it's our turn to help him. We have to show him that his friends are always there for him."

This seemed to have gotten Davis excited as the young man stood up and pumped his own two fists in the air, mimicking Joe a few seconds earlier. "Yeah, and if he doesn't want our help, I say we chain him, lock him in the basement, and squeeze out all the information we can outta him. We can all take turns asking him questions until he finally cracks and gives in! That'll show him who's boss!"

"Um, Davis? Don't you think your methods are a little too savage?" Cody questioned. "Tai is our friend, not a prisoner."

"Huh? What're you talking about?" Placing his hands on his waist, Davis lowered his head so that he matched Cody's height. "It's a brilliant plan. You're just jealous 'cause you didn't come up with it first, right Izzy?" He looked over at Izzy, who was shaking his head in disagreement.

"Sorry, Davis, but I'm gonna have to agree with Cody."

Letting his shoulders slump, Davis couldn't help but feel let down. "Aww, why is it that no one's ever on my side?"

"No one's ever on your side because your ideas are always so childish."

"Who exactly is the child here, Cody?" Davis growled at the young boy as an invisible steam escaped through his nostrils.

"Davis c'mon, this is serious," Izzy told him as he pushed him away from Cody. "We can't afford to do anything that could make Tai feel like we're going against him. He'll push us even further. If we go at this the wrong way, we could end up..."

"…losing him," someone had finished.

They all turned their attention toward Mimi, who seemed to be staring at her feet, her arms at her sides. On her face was an expression that was quite difficult to read.

"Well?" she questioned. "We'd lose him, right?"

"Exactly," was all Izzy could say at the moment.

"Well, what do you propose we do?" Mimi asked. Raising her head, she glared at Izzy. "Are you saying that Tai's gonna magically turn back to his old self from a little group therapy talk?

"W-Wha… no, that's not—"

"Honestly, Izzy! Can't you see? Or are you really that blind?" Mimi screamed. "It's so darn obvious Tai doesn't give a damn about us! What I saw yesterday was enough to make me realize that. I could care less about that stupid jerk!"

Joe gently grabbed hold of her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down. "Mimi, please. You don't mean that."

"Yes, I do!" Mimi shouted as tears began to fill her eyes.

Joe took in a deep breath, and then exhaled quickly after. He knew Mimi was lying. She never meant to say any of those words. She cared about all of her friends, and that included Tai. Everything she said just now wasn't really her, but someone else, someone who was just… frightened.

"Mimi," the young blue-haired man began. "Tai has been there for us when we needed him. He's been there for you as well, and deep inside, you know he needs us, so please, don't abandon him when he needs us the most."

She sniffed as a few warm tears fell down her face. "I-I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, everyone. I'm just… so upset and really scared for him."

"I know you are," Joe softly said.

"It was all so sudden," Mimi continued. "Him changing into this horrible person, I feel like… like we've lost him for good.

"It's okay, Mimi." Yolei stood and walked over to her, placing a soft hand on her friend's shoulder. "You're not alone. Everyone here is scared too. This is the first time we've had to deal with something like this."

"All of us understand what you're feeling. No one wants to see a friend behave like an animal," Cody said.

"There's still hope, Mimi. We'll bring him back. I'm sure of it," Joe said, giving her a warm smile.

"You're right. Of course there's still hope, and here I am sniveling like a baby when I should be doing everything I can to help our friend."

"That's right, Mimi," Izzy said. "This is the time Tai needs us the most."

Everyone nodded in agreement as Izzy continued.

"Okay, so here's what we should do. First, we'll need him to fill us in on everything that's been happening so far and I mean everything. There's no way we can help him if he continues to keep us in the dark with no information whatsoever. Then, from there, we can try to piece…" he stopped when he noticed they were no longer listening to him. Frowning, he looked over toward the front gate to where they were all staring at.

Not too far from where they were sitting, walking in a semi-casual manner were the two blond brothers, Matt and Tk. The two waved their hands and greeted the group with small half-smiles.

"Hey guys," Matt said as he made his way toward the large tree and sat down. No one said a word, which made Matt feel a little uncomfortable. "Um, okay, are you guys gonna stare at my face all day, or are we gonna have this discussion as planned?"

"How're you feeling, Matt?" Joe asked, taking full notice of the few bruises on his face. "Are you feeling any pain? Discomfort?"

"I'm fine, _doctor_," Matt said as he rolled his eyes at Joe.

Tk sat down next to his brother." He's fine, Joe. He's just a little tired that's all."

"Your face looks pretty messed up." Mimi said, pointing at the bruises.

"Yes, I know, my face looks awful, and you're all worried. But remember, this isn't about me." Matt shook his head and stretched his arms behind him, leaning back on the grass. "This is about Tai."

"Right," Mimi agreed.

Looking around the group, Matt noticed a certain red-headed girl was missing.

"Hey, where's Sora?"

"I dunno, she hasn't shown up yet," Yolei answered.

"She's probably just running late, you guys," Cody replied. "I wouldn't worry too much."

"Yeah, she's definitely running late. See, there she is, and Tai and Kari are with her." Tk pointed over toward the front gate.

Everyone turned to see a cheery Sora running toward them as Tai and Kari trailed closely behind.

"Hey, everyone!" Sora greeted them. "Sorry we're late!"

"Uh, hi, Sora," Mimi replied back, not exactly feeling as enthusiastic as Sora.

Nervous to bits, Tai greeted them as well. "Hi."

Nothing… not a single one of them said a word. It was almost as if you could hear the crickets singing in the background. Slowly, Tai sat down, glancing at the faces around him. He could see that they were all uncomfortable, and it's not too difficult to wonder why. After all, he had done some terrible things.

The group remained silent, unsure of what to say exactly. Was this the same guy who tried to kill Matt yesterday? All of a sudden, he seems… normal. Could this be some kind of illusion? Was he just fooling everyone?

Tai scratched the back of his head, letting out a breath he had been holding for quite some time. "I'm sure all of you guys are confused right now, hell I'd be confused if it was the other way around, but I'm gonna try my best to explain everything, so right now, all I want is for everyone to listen okay. No questions, no comments, and no theories until after I finish."

* * *

It took Tai nearly fifteen minutes to give his side of the story. Every minute was just as important as the next, filled with everything that had been happening to him for the last couple months, well almost everything that is. He couldn't give them the long version. No, that would take up too much time and they didn't have time to spare, so instead he decided to shorten the story, telling just the important stuff.

The DigiDestined listened attentively to every detail, curious as to why this happened in the first place. They had no idea what Tai had been through. It hadn't crossed their mind, but now that they had heard it straight from his mouth, they couldn't help but feel guilty for not realizing this sooner.

"So, yeah, there's my story," Tai said as he stared at the ground, refusing to make any eye contact.

Cody was the first to reply. "I gotta admit that was the scariest story I've ever heard."

Davis nodded. "Yeah, maybe we could make this into a movie. You know, have Tai be the—"

Yolei's fist met with the boy's skull, making him black out for just a few seconds.

"Ow! God, Yolie! Give a guy a break!"

"Stop being such a jerk!" Yolei glared angrily at the young man.

Davis whimpered as he brought both arms over his head to protect his skull from any more injuries.

Just then, someone else began to speak.

"I know it must've been tough for you, but I'm real glad that you finally told us everything, man."

Tai looked to see a pair of dark blue eyes. The brunet felt a sense of guilt as he stared at the noticeable bruises that covered the blond-haired man's face. This was the man he had almost killed yesterday. His best friend. Then he looked toward Izzy. The bruise didn't look as bad as Matt, but it was still there. Tai was responsible for those bruises. He was the one to blame.

"Matt, Izzy, I'm so sorr—"

"That's not important right now, Tai," Matt replied, waving a hand at him. "We'll deal with this later."

Tai simply nodded.

"Well, now we have to think of what our next plan of action is gonna be now that you've given us a whole lot of information," Izzy said. "To be honest, I haven't a clue of what's happening to you."

"What do you think we should do?" Tai asked, hoping Izzy would be the one to solve this whole thing. He was always the brilliant one.

"Um, well I–"

Someone quickly cut him off.

"I think I might be able to help."

Everyone turned in the direction of the voice, all of them surprised to see a familiar face. A young man holding a small brown suitcase and wearing gray-colored uniform stood before them.

"Ken!"

* * *

_A/n: Now, I'm still trying to figure out how exactly I should end this story, which should be around chapter 25-30, depending on how much I write for each chapter from here on. Unfortunately, it's been so long since I first started writing this, and my notes and outlines have all disappeared. But whatever, I'll come up with something._

_Thanks for reading, everyone._


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